U.S.-Austria Cooperative Research: Electronic Properties of Semiconductor Systems of Reduced Dimensionality (Materials Research)

该奖项将支持纽约州立大学布法罗分校物理和天文学系Bruce D.McCombe教授和奥地利维也纳大学固态物理研究所Friedemar Kuchar教授之间为期三年的固体物理合作研究项目。联合研究的目的是(1)提高目前对铟基III-V化合物(InSb、InAs、InP)中“绝缘体”-半导体界面的理解，并在此过程中开发新的或改进的绝缘体和金属-绝缘体-半导体(MIS)结构；(2)增加对几种半导体结构中近二维电子气的基本物理和独特性质，特别是量子霍尔效应的了解。样品将从各种来源获得，包括通过有机金属化学气相沉积在内部制造。大量的表征技术将被用来研究界面和制造技术。这些结构中的近二维气体的基本物理将通过几种实验方法进行研究。基本的物理现象包括：电子-电子相互作用，电子-声子相互作用，量子霍尔效应区的局域效应，以及窄能隙/降维系统中的自旋-轨道耦合。使用透射电子显微镜可以将样品的电学性质与界面处的微观物理结构相关联，这对于努力改善界面非常重要。这个项目旨在提高对半导体器件结构的基本理解，半导体器件的运行依赖于限制电子在一个方向上的运动，以便在许多目的下，电子表现为二维(而不是三维)气体。合作的科学家在研究这种“降维”系统方面有相当丰富的经验。从技术和科学的角度来看，目前对这些系统都很感兴趣。因此，联合研究将在电子技术领域和基础物理领域产生影响。尽管在过去的十年里做了大量的工作，但对这里要检查的结构的界面电子性质以及与其中可能产生的近二维电子气相关的各种物理现象的详细微观理解还没有出现。美国和奥地利的研究小组为该项目带来了不同的设施和技术，因此可以进行比任何一个小组单独进行的更全面的调查。调查人员认为，他们的双重技术/物理方法，加上通过合作可获得的广泛样本、表征技术和专门知识，增加了在这两个领域取得实质性进展的机会。这笔奖金将支持麦康姆教授的交通费和海外生活费，以及一些运费。奥地利科学基金会(FWF)正在为库查尔教授提供相应的支持。该项目是在美国-奥地利合作科学计划下进行的。

This award will support a three-year cooperative research project in solid state physics between Professor Bruce D. McCombe, Department of Physics and Astronomy, State University of New York at Buffalo, and Prof. Dr. Friedemar Kuchar, Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Vienna, Austria. The objectives of the joint study are (1) to improve present understanding of the "insulator"-semiconductor interface in indium-based III-V compounds (InSb, InAs, InP) and to develop new or improved insulators and metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures in the process and (2) to increase understanding of the basic physics and unique properties of the nearly two-dimensional electron gas, particularly the Quantum Hall Effect, in several semiconductor structures. Samples will be obtained from a variety of sources, including in-house fabrication by organometallic chemical vapor deposition. A large range of characterization techniques will be used to study the interfaces and fabrication techniques. The basic physics of the nearly 2-dimensional gas in these structures will be investigated by several experimental methods. Basic physical phenomena to be examined are: electron-electron interactions, electron-phonon interaction, localization effects in the Quantum Hall Effect regime, and spin-orbit coupling in narrow gap/reduced dimensionality systems. Use of Transmission Electron Microscopy will permit correlation of the electrical properties of the samples with the microscopic physical structure at the interfaces, important in efforts to make better interfaces. This project is directed at improving basic understanding of semiconductor device structures, whose operation depends on confining the motion of electrons in one direction, so that for many purposes the electrons behave as a two-dimensional (rather than three-dimensional) gas. The cooperating scientists have considerable experience in studying such systems of "reduced dimensionality." There is current interest in these systems from both technological and scientific points of view. The joint study would thus have an impact both in the areas of electronics technology and in basic physics. In spite of considerable work done over the past decade, a detailed microscopic understanding of the interface electronic properties of the structures to be examined here and the variety of physical phenomena associated with the nearly two-dimensional electron gas that can be produced within them has not emerged. The U.S. and Austrian research groups bring different facilities and techniques to the project, thereby allowing a much more complete range of investigations to be carried out than could be conducted by either group working alone. The investigators believe that their dual technology/physics approach, coupled with the wide range of samples, characterization techniques, and expertise available through the collaboration, enhances the opportunity for substantial progress in both areas. This award will support the transportation and overseas subsistence expenses of Professor McCombe, as well as some shipping costs. The Austrian Science Foundation (FWF) is providing counterpart support to Professor Kuchar. This project takes place under the U.S.-Austria Cooperative Science Program.