Growth, fabrication and physical properties of nitride quantum dot based optical devices: light emitting diodes, laser diodes and photodetectors

由于GaN基光电子器件的广泛应用，包括用于下一代数字多功能光盘(DVD)的短波长激光二极管，用于大规模全色显示和固态照明的蓝/绿发光二极管，用于生物、化学和环境保护的紫外光发光二极管，以及用于场和热传感器监测的光电探测器，GaN基光电子器件一直是研究的热点。例如，GaN基DVD的存储容量大约是目前使用的GaAs-DVD的四倍。以GaN为基础的固态照明可以取代常用的白炽灯，大大节省能源，寿命更长。然而，由于当前技术的限制，现有的GaN基光电子学的性能越来越难持续提高。因此，发展低维GaN基光电子学，例如GaN量子点光电子学，在理论上是非常有意义的。本课题研究了氮化物量子点的形成、结构和光学性质，以及它们在从紫外光到蓝光区域的发光二极管、激光二极管和光电探测器等光电器件中的应用。该计划将在谢菲尔德大学电子和电气工程系进行，并将开发制造上述性能极高的GaN基器件的最先进技术。

GaN-based optoelectronic devices have been a topic of intense research due to the wide range of applications, including short wavelength laser diodes for next generation digital versatile disk (DVD), blue/green light emitting diodes for large scale full-color displays and solid state lighting as, ultraviolet light emitting diodes for biology, chemistry and environmental protection and photodetectors for fame and heat sensors monitor. For example, the storage capacity of GaN-based DVD is about four time higher than that of currently used GaAs-DVD. The popularly used incandescent lamp can be replaced by GaN-based solidstate lighting, which can greatly save energy and have a much longer life-time. However, due to the limits of the current technology, it is becoming more difficult to continuously improve the performance of the existing GaN-based optoelectronics. Therefore, it is very interesting to develop low dimensional GaN-based optoelectronics, such as GaN quantum dot based optoelectronic since improved performance is theoretically expected.The proposed programme undertakes a study of the formation, structure and optical properties of nitride quantum dots, and their application to optoelectroic devices: light emitting diodes, laser diodes and photodetectors in the region from ultraviolet to blue. The programme will be carried out in Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, the University of Sheffield and will develop state-of-the-art technologies for fabrication of above mentioned GaN-based devices with highly improved performance.