Investigation of new semiconductor materials for wide band-gap devices

该项目旨在开发新型和增强的宽带隙半导体合金，以期应用于改进的器件。特别是，我们的目标是紫外线（UV）发射器，包括那些在深紫外波长范围内，在水净化和灭菌中有重要应用，以及高频大功率晶体管。我们将与晶体生长专家密切合作，特别是诺丁汉大学、名古屋大学、南京大学和法国CNRS-CRHEA的同事。通过外延技术生产的材料，如分子束外延，将由学生使用先进的技术在亚微米尺度上研究材料的组成、结构和光学特性。它与EPSRC战略设备奖密切相关，该奖项提供了价值100万英镑的新型场发射枪电子探针微分析仪（fg - epma）和低压扫描电子显微镜，用于半导体的高空间分辨率x射线微分析和阴极发光研究。一种目标材料是合金氮化镓铝（AlGaN），它在紫外能量范围内具有吸引人的特性。该项目将通过实验测试材料性能的理论预测，并旨在证明在一系列晶体取向和掺杂情况下制造的AlGaN层的质量。这将为在紫外范围内生产更有效、更紧凑和更高效的设备开辟道路。

This project aims to develop new and enhanced wide band-gap semiconductor alloys, with a view to application in improved devices. In particular, we are targetting ultra-violet (UV) emitters, including those in the deep UV wavelength ranges where there are important applications in water purification and sterilsation, as well as high-frequency high-power transistors. We will work closely with crystal growth specialists, in particular colleagues at Nottingham University, Nagoya University, Nanjing University and CNRS-CRHEA in France. Material produced by epitaxial techniques, such as molecular beam epitaxy, will be characterised by the student using advanced techniques that investigate material composition, structure and optical properties at a sub-micron length scale. It is closely connected to an EPSRC Strategic Equipment Award which provided a new £1M field-emission gun electron probe micro-analyser (FEG-EPMA) and low-voltage scanning electron microscope, which are configured for highly spatially resolved x-ray microanalysis and cathodoluminescence studies of semiconductors. One targetmaterial is the alloy aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN) which has attractive properties for the UV energy range. The project will experimentally test the theoretical predictions of material properties and aim to demonstrate the quality of AlGaN layers fabricated in a range of crystal orientations and with a range of doping. This will open the way to producing more effective, more compact and more efficient devices in the UV range.