Excellence in Research: Multi-Charge Ion Implantation of Ultra-Wide Bandgap beta-Ga2O3 Semiconductor Grown by Magnetron Sputtering

非技术描述这个少数群体服务机构的卓越研究(EIR)项目将支持教师在材料方面的研究，建设机构的研究能力，并在材料研究方面培训代表不足和服务不足的学生。这项研究项目包括开发一种可靠的技术来沉积薄层的氧化镓，一种半导体。这种材料很有趣，因为它在许多特殊的国防和民用电子设备应用中表现出了希望，包括大功率微电子设备和恶劣环境传感器。以前几乎没有研究经验的本科生将通过在正常学年和夏季进行研究来学习技术技能。在这笔助学金支持的暑期研究实习期间，每年将有五名来自北卡罗来纳州东北部农村邻近学校的有才华的高中生被介绍到材料研究职业。来自少数族裔服务机构的本科生将有机会与老道明大学的研究生和教职员工进行研究，并与他们互动和学习，老道明大学是该项目的合作伙伴。技术描述正在研究通过相对便宜的磁控溅射方法在电绝缘(掺铁)和导电(掺锡)氧化镓衬底上生长β-氧化镓外延层。它们的结构将用各种高分辨率的X射线衍射扫描来表征。氧化镓薄膜的掺杂是通过与不同的掺杂靶共溅射来实现的。还将研究用于在选定的空间位置重掺杂材料顶层的低能量激光多电荷离子(MCI)注入。首席研究人员和学生研究人员将与合作研究人员和老道明大学的研究生一起研究MCI注入和有效的掺杂剂激活过程。这种材料的超宽能隙意味着高击穿场强和对极端条件和恶劣环境的高耐受性。β-氧化镓半导体是高功率电子器件、日盲紫外光探测器、光催化剂、气体传感器和太阳能电池的理想候选者。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Nontechnical DescriptionThis Excellence in Research (EiR) project at a minority-serving institution will support faculty research on materials, build the institutional research capacity, and train underrepresented and underserved students in materials research. This research project includes developing a reliable technique for depositing thin layers of gallium oxide, a semiconductor. This material is interesting because it has shown promise for many special defense and civilian electronic device applications, including high power microelectronic devices and harsh environment sensors. Undergraduate students with very little or no prior research experience will learn technological skills by conducting research during the regular academic year and in the summer. Five talented High School students from neighboring schools in rural northeastern North Carolina will be introduced to materials research careers each year during the summer research internship supported with this grant. Undergraduate students from a minority-serving institution will have the opportunity to conduct research with, and interact and learn from graduate students and faculty from Old Dominion University, a collaborating partner on this project.Technical DescriptionThe growth of beta-gallium oxide epilayers by the relatively inexpensive magnetron sputtering method on electrically insulating (iron-doped) and conducting (tin-doped) gallium oxide substrates is being investigated. Their structures will be characterized with various high-resolution X-ray diffraction scans. Doping of the gallium oxide layers is attained via co-sputtering with different dopant targets. Low energy laser Multi-Charge Ion (MCI) implantation used to heavily dope the top layer of the material at selected spatial locations will also be investigated. The principal investigator and student researchers will work with the co-investigator and graduate students at Old Dominion University to study MCI implantation and efficient dopant activation processes. The ultra-wide energy gap of this material implies high breakdown field strength and high tolerance for extreme conditions and harsh environments. Beta-gallium oxide semiconductor is a good candidate for high power electronic devices, solar-blind UV photodetectors, photocatalysts, gas sensors, and solar cells.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.