Bandgap and wavefunction engineering of semiconductor heterostructures

半导体异质结构的带隙和波函数工程

• 批准号: 9387-2006
• 负责人: Masut, Remo
• 金额: $ 4.3万
• 依托单位: École Polytechnique de Montréal
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2008-01-01 至 2009-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=389975
• 关键词: Bandgap; wavefunction; engineering; semiconductor; heterostructures

Materials such as magnetic semiconductor (MS) alloys, and quantum heterostructures (QHS) such as embedded quantum dots (QDs) play an important role in spintronic and photonic applications, and  are becoming essential for technological innovation. My proposal will focus on (1) the epitaxial growth of QHS and MS alloys and (2) their characterization and application in discrete devices. We will continue our ongoing study of strained III-V compound QHS, which includes stacks of multiple layers of coherent QDs, for optoelectronic device applications such as infrared photodetectors. Our research has a strong experimental component which is usually complemented by theoretical analysis and modeling. We have already successfully modeled physical properties of materials, materials processes, and current transport in discrete devices and designed QHS to optimize device performance.  We will grow the semiconductor epilayers and nanostructures from the vapor phase in our own laboratory, and will characterize them ourselves or through a wide network of solid collaborations established through the years. We will use high-resolution X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, SQUID magnetometry and low temperature magneto-transport, and a combination of optical measurements such as optical absorption, photoluminescence (PL), PL excitation spectroscopy and time-resolved PL. Most of this research will build upon and extend our previous work in the area of strained III-V compounds (including dilute nitrides), with the addition of new organometallic precursors to grow Cr-, Gd- and Mn-containing alloys. Thus, additional funding is requested in a separate proposal to complete and upgrade a Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy reactor, dedicated to MS alloys. The objectives of our research are many-fold but the most relevant are:  (i) to enhance our understanding of the material properties (structural, optical, magnetic and transport) in relation to growth from the vapor phase and (ii) to design, improve and apply the QHS in innovative discrete device designs both for optoelectronic and spintronic applications. Novel magnetic semiconductor structures will open pathways to control and manipulate the spin of carriers which is expected to lead to novel information technologies.

磁性半导体 (MS) 合金等材料和嵌入式量子点 (QD) 等量子异质结构 (QHS) 在自旋电子和光子应用中发挥着重要作用，并且正成为技术创新的关键。我的提案将重点关注（1）QHS 和 MS 合金的外延生长以及（2）它们在分立器件中的表征和应用。我们将继续对应变 III-V 化合物 QHS 进行持续研究，其中包括多层相干 QD 堆叠，适用于红外光电探测器等光电器件应用。我们的研究具有强大的实验成分，通常辅以理论分析和建模。我们已经成功地对分立器件中的材料物理特性、材料工艺和电流传输进行了建模，并设计了 QHS 来优化器件性能。  我们将在自己的实验室中以气相生长半导体外延层和纳米结构，并自行或通过多年来建立的广泛的坚实合作网络来表征它们。我们将使用高分辨率 X 射线衍射、透射电子显微镜、SQUID 磁力测量和低温磁输运，以及光学测量的组合，例如光吸收、光致发光 (PL)、PL 激发光谱和时间分辨 PL。这项研究的大部分内容将建立在并扩展我们之前在应变 III-V 化合物（包括稀氮化物）领域的工作，并添加新的有机金属前体来生长含 Cr、Gd 和 Mn 的合金。因此，在另一项提案中需要额外的资金来完成和升级专用于 MS 合金的金属有机气相外延反应器。我们的研究目标有很多，但最相关的是：(i) 增强我们对与气相生长相关的材料特性（结构、光学、磁性和传输）的理解，以及 (ii) 在光电和自旋电子应用的创新分立器件设计中设计、改进和应用 QHS。新型磁性半导体结构将为控制和操纵载流子自旋开辟途径，这有望带来新型信息技术。