STTR Phase I: Ammonothermal Growth of Doped Aluminum Gallium Nitride Single Crystals for Energy Efficient Solid State Lighting and Tunable LED?s

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(Public Law 111-5)资助的。这个小型企业技术转移第一阶段项目将解决多功能宽带隙氮化铝单晶基板的问题，该基板将实现低缺陷、高性能的外延生长。由于在美国，用于传统照明的大部分能源被浪费为热量，因此固态照明(SSL)有可能大幅降低我们的能源消耗。然而，这项技术缺乏一种关键材料，可以生产出高效的设备。AlGaN衬底的单晶将能够生产出从可见光到紫外光范围内具有可变带边的可调带隙材料，包括250-280 nm之间的太阳盲区。除了固态照明外，这种多功能材料还可以用于日盲区的紫外可见二极管激光器和紫外光探测器。这项技术利用了APC和克莱姆森大学长达六年的联合工程和设计，设计了一种经过验证的商业操作高压灭菌器。这项技术可以容纳水热生长氧化物晶体(700摄氏度和4kbar)所需的高温和压力。为了实现第一阶段的目标，将采用目前的水热模型高压釜设计，以适应氨热晶体生长。更广泛的影响这个小型企业技术转移第一阶段项目将支持美国的下一代晶体生长技术。它将开发一条商业上可行的路线，获得固态照明、UV-Vis二极管激光器和紫外光探测的关键材料。晶体生长行业已经退出美国，在陆上生产具有重要战略意义的固体的能力方面留下了巨大的缺口。在美国，生长用于重要材料的单晶的技术技能已经大幅下降。该项目将开发下一代技术，有助于美国在材料科学的战略领域实现自给自足。该项目还将培训一名年轻的博士后，从事晶体生长领域的研究，这是美国一个不发达的领域。该项目还将有助于能源自给自足。固态照明有望通过提高能效和最大限度地减少废热来节省大量能源。广泛引入固态照明的一个主要限制是缺乏合适的衬底。该项目将提供能够实现更高效率和更长寿命的固态照明的材料，以及固态二极管激光器和各种其他将为美国提供竞争优势的技术。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project will address the problem of a multifunctional wide band-gap aluminum gallium nitride single crystal substrate that will enable low-defect, high-performance epitaxial growth. Since much of the energy consumed in the U.S. used for traditional lighting is wasted as heat, solid-state lighting (SSL) has the potential to reduce our energy consumption dramatically. The technology is lacking a critical material that will allow production of high efficiency devices however. Single crystals of AlGaN substrate will enable the production of a tunable bandgap material with a variable band-edge from the visible to the UV range, including the solar blind region between 250-280nm. In addition to solid-state lighting, such a multifunctional material can be used for UV-Vis diode lasers and UV photodetectors in the solar blind region. This technology exploits six years of joint engineering and design of a proven, commercially operational autoclave from APC and Clemson University. The technology can contain the high temperatures and pressures required for hydrothermal growth of oxide crystals (700 C and 4kbar). To accomplish the objectives of Phase I the current hydrothermal model autoclave design will be adapted to work for ammonothermal crystal growth. Broader ImpactsThis Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project will support the next generation of crystal growth technology in the United States. It will develop a commercially viable route to a key material in solid-state lighting, UV-Vis diode lasers and UV photodetection. The crystal growth industry has exited the United States, leaving a significant gap in the ability to produce strategically important solids onshore. The technical skills to grow single crystals for important materials have decreased significantly in the US. This project will develop a next generation technology that will contribute to US self-sufficiency in a strategic area of materials science. The project will also lead to training of a young postdoctoral fellow in the field of crystal growth, an area that is underdeveloped in the US. The project will also contribute to energy self-sufficiency. Solid-state lighting is expected to save significant energy by improving efficiency and minimizing waste heat. A primary limitation to widespread introduction of solid-state lighting is lack of suitable substrates. This project will provide materials that will enable much high efficiency and long life solid state lighting as well as solid state diode lasers and various other technologies that will provide competitive advantage to the US.