Infrared photonics using ferroelectric scandium-aluminum nitride semiconductors

使用铁电钪铝氮化物半导体的红外光子学

• 批准号: 2414283
• 负责人: Oana Malis
• 金额: $ 55万
• 依托单位: Purdue University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-08-01 至 2027-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2414283&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Infrared; photonics; using; ferroelectric; scandium

Nontechnical descriptionThis project investigates the unique electronic and optical properties brought about by incorporation of scandium into traditional nitride semiconductors. These materials enable novel light sources and detectors that can be used in practical applications ranging from chemical sensing and medical diagnostics to power electronics and energy harvesting. The research effort involves material design with computer simulations, synthesis of ultra-pure defect-free semiconductors, as well as structural and optical material characterization. This project also combines material research with educational and outreach activities that aim to increase learning opportunities for students of all ages, inside and outside the traditional classroom. The investigators and students involved in this project participate in outreach activities organized either in-house or at local schools to increase exposure of K-12 students and the general public to modern scientific topics in materials science in a fun, project-oriented environment. Lesson plans are designed and experimental demonstrations of basic optical properties of matter are built for the middle-school summer camp “Physics Inside Out” at Purdue. To maximize impact at the high-school level, the activities engage teachers in summer research. In particular, the teachers are developing inquiry-based lesson plans incorporating concepts related to quantum science into the high-school curriculum. The researchers also design hands-on activities with take-home materials for the annual meeting of the Hoosier Association of Science Teachers.Technical descriptionThe principal objective of this project is to establish wurtzite ScAlN as a viable photonic platform for novel infrared applications. This project exploits the unique native properties of ferroelectric ScAlN and further manipulates them within designed structures to facilitate utilization of the near-infrared range of the spectrum. In particular, optical transitions between quantized states in the conduction band of near lattice-matched ScAlN/GaN heterostructures are utilized to expand device capabilities to generate, detect, and modulate infrared light. III-nitride semiconductors have unique electronic properties that make them suitable for advancing the functionality of semiconductor devices into spectral ranges currently inaccessible with other material systems. The innovative approach employs the emergent photonic material Sc-Al-nitride to mitigate strain-related issues that have impeded progress of nitride photonics into the infrared in the past. The research effort is interdisciplinary and involves material design and growth, structural characterization, and optical characterization. ScAlN/GaN heterostructures are designed using extensive band-structure calculations. To achieve maximum material purity and monolayer-control of the atomic structure, the Sc-containing materials are grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on high quality quasi-bulk GaN substrates. A central task is to identify the epitaxial growth conditions that satisfy the most stringent requirements imposed by near-infrared optical processes. To correlate microstructure with optical and electronic properties, the structure of the semiconductor materials is comprehensively characterized with high-resolution x-ray diffraction, aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy, and atom-probe tomography. The band structure of the materials is probed experimentally with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and photoluminescence. The research contributes to the fundamental understanding of the physics of intersubband optical transitions and nonlinear optical processes. These infrared materials are expected to immediately enable emitters and photodetectors with functionality unmatched by current technologies (wider spectral range, higher speeds, and better temperature performance). They are also ideal candidates for photonic integrated circuits as well as monolithic integration with Si electronics. Successful second-harmonic generation on chip opens avenues for other nonlinear processes such as difference frequency generation and parametric down-conversion. Moreover, the novel Sc-containing semiconductors are beneficial for other applications in electronic (e.g. high-electron mobility transistors), ultraviolet, thermoelectric, piezoelectric, and plasmonic devices.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

非技术描述本项目研究将钪加入传统氮化半导体所带来的独特电子和光学特性。这些材料使新型光源和探测器可用于从化学传感和医疗诊断到电力电子和能量收集的实际应用。研究工作包括用计算机模拟设计材料，合成超纯无缺陷半导体，以及结构和光学材料表征。该项目还将材料研究与教育和推广活动相结合，旨在增加所有年龄段学生在传统课堂内外的学习机会。参与该项目的研究人员和学生参加了在内部或当地学校组织的外展活动，以增加K-12学生和公众在有趣的、以项目为导向的环境中对材料科学现代科学主题的接触。为普渡大学的中学夏令营“物理Inside Out”设计了课程计划，并进行了物质基本光学特性的实验演示。为了最大限度地影响高中水平，这些活动让教师参与暑期研究。特别是，教师们正在开发以探究为基础的课程计划，将量子科学相关的概念纳入高中课程。研究人员还为印第安纳州科学教师协会的年度会议设计了带回家的材料的动手活动。本项目的主要目标是建立纤锌矿ScAlN作为新型红外应用的可行光子平台。该项目利用铁电ScAlN独特的固有特性，并在设计的结构中进一步操纵它们，以促进近红外光谱范围的利用。特别是，在近晶格匹配的ScAlN/GaN异质结构的传导带中，量子化状态之间的光学跃迁被用来扩展器件的能力，以产生、检测和调制红外光。iii -氮化物半导体具有独特的电子特性，使其适用于将半导体器件的功能推进到目前其他材料系统无法达到的光谱范围。这种创新的方法采用了新兴的光子材料sc - al -氮化物，以缓解过去阻碍氮化物光子学进入红外的应变相关问题。研究工作是跨学科的，涉及材料设计和生长，结构表征和光学表征。ScAlN/GaN异质结构的设计采用了广泛的能带结构计算。为了获得最大的材料纯度和原子结构的单层控制，采用等离子体辅助分子束外延的方法在高质量的准块状GaN衬底上生长含sc材料。一项中心任务是确定满足近红外光学工艺最严格要求的外延生长条件。为了将微观结构与光学和电子特性联系起来，半导体材料的结构用高分辨率x射线衍射、像差校正透射电子显微镜和原子探针断层扫描进行了全面表征。利用傅里叶变换红外光谱和光致发光技术对材料的能带结构进行了实验研究。该研究有助于从根本上理解子带间光学跃迁和非线性光学过程的物理性质。这些红外材料有望立即使发射器和光电探测器具有当前技术无法比拟的功能（更宽的光谱范围、更高的速度和更好的温度性能）。它们也是光子集成电路以及硅电子单片集成的理想候选者。芯片上二次谐波的成功产生为其他非线性过程如差频产生和参数下变频开辟了道路。此外，新型含sc半导体在电子（例如高电子迁移率晶体管）、紫外、热电、压电和等离子体器件等方面的其他应用也很有益。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。