Characterization of Semiconductors for Novel Electronic, Photonic, and Energy Applications

用于新型电子、光子和能源应用的半导体表征

• 批准号: RGPIN-2022-03871
• 负责人: McLeod, John
• 金额: $ 1.89万
• 依托单位: University of Western Ontario
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=752192
• 关键词: Characterization; Semiconductors; Novel; Electronic; Photonic

My research program is focused on studying metal oxide semiconductors to advance fundamental science; to streamline identifying promising materials for new applications in electronics, optoelectronics, energy storage, and catalysis; and to predict the performance of novel devices. Metal oxide semiconductors are attractive materials because they are stable and inexpensive, but there are many challenges that must be overcome before these materials can be used in next-generation devices. These challenges relate to understanding the atomic-scale electronic properties of the semiconductor. Tuning the electronic properties of the semiconductor involves adding impurities, removing atoms (creating vacancies), or using nanomaterials - but exactly how these modifications change the electronic properties of the host semiconductor is difficult to determine. Synchrotron-excited X-ray spectroscopy is a rapidly developing technique that provides a bulk and surface sensitive, element-specific, and non-destructive probe of material properties. This research will use soft X-ray spectroscopy (SXS) to characterize materials to assess their suitability for practical applications. These measurements will be supported by ab-initio calculations such as density functional theory (DFT) and standard laboratory characterization techniques. The long-term goal of this research program is to develop a robust joint theoretical and experimental methodology for rapid characterizing novel materials and accurately predicting of their influence on device performance. This long-term goal is to be pursued along three research themes: the influence of defects on the electronic properties of metal oxide semiconductors (Theme 1), controlling the electronic properties of metal oxide semiconductors with doping (Theme 2), and interfaces and heterojunctions of metal oxide semiconductors (Theme 3). A highlight of this research program is using non-destructive methods to characterize trace amounts of a new material or a prototype device, and to connect fundamental material properties to device performance. A systematic study of novel and alternative semiconductors increases fundamental knowledge in materials science, will providing valuable insight into potential uses of these semiconductors in practical applications and commercial devices. Although there is increasing investment in synchrotrons, use of these facilities for applied and quantitative characterization of electronic materials is lacking. An analysis framework for rapid and accurate characterization of device-relevant parameters from synchrotron techniques will address this deficiency and increase the utility of synchrotron-excited X-ray spectroscopy as a new standard tool for the electronics, photonics, and battery industries. This increases the efficiency of broad searches across novel materials for those best suited for next generation technologies and shortens development time before commercialization.

我的研究项目集中在研究金属氧化物半导体，以推进基础科学；简化识别在电子、光电子、储能和催化等新应用领域有前景的材料；并预测新设备的性能。金属氧化物半导体是一种有吸引力的材料，因为它们稳定而廉价，但在这些材料用于下一代设备之前，必须克服许多挑战。这些挑战涉及到理解半导体的原子级电子特性。调整半导体的电子特性包括添加杂质、去除原子（产生空位）或使用纳米材料——但这些修改究竟是如何改变宿主半导体的电子特性的，目前还很难确定。同步辐射激发x射线光谱学是一种快速发展的技术，它提供了一种体和表面敏感、元素特异性和非破坏性的材料特性探测。本研究将使用软x射线光谱学（SXS）来表征材料，以评估其实际应用的适用性。这些测量将支持从头计算，如密度泛函理论（DFT）和标准的实验室表征技术。该研究计划的长期目标是开发一种强大的联合理论和实验方法，用于快速表征新材料并准确预测其对设备性能的影响。这一长期目标将沿着三个研究主题进行：缺陷对金属氧化物半导体电子性能的影响（主题1），用掺杂控制金属氧化物半导体电子性能（主题2），以及金属氧化物半导体的界面和异质结（主题3）。该研究计划的一个亮点是使用非破坏性方法来表征新材料或原型设备的痕量，并将基本材料属性与设备性能联系起来。对新型和替代半导体的系统研究增加了材料科学的基础知识，将为这些半导体在实际应用和商业设备中的潜在用途提供有价值的见解。虽然对同步加速器的投资不断增加，但缺乏利用这些设施对电子材料进行应用和定量表征。从同步加速器技术中快速准确地表征设备相关参数的分析框架将解决这一不足，并增加同步加速器激发x射线光谱学作为电子，光子学和电池行业的新标准工具的效用。这提高了对最适合下一代技术的新材料进行广泛搜索的效率，缩短了商业化前的开发时间。