NSF: An investigation into the properties of B12As2, B4C and their heterostructures

富硼二十面体硼化物半导体B12As2和B4C的性质在许多方面都处于极端，如高熔化温度、硬度和塞贝克系数。因此，这种新型材料在高温以及空间电子、中子探测器、热电子学和Betavavoltaic电池等应用领域都很有吸引力，后者分别用于将热能和核能转化为电能。堪萨斯州立大学、纽约州立大学和布里斯托尔大学提出了一项合作研究工作，以推进这些新材料的合成和表征，因为详细的洞察是必要的，以了解生长参数对结构和成分的影响，以及它们对性能的影响。美国方面的工作将得到NSF的支持，英国方面将得到EPSRC的支持，并向NSF和EPSRC提交相应的建议。在堪萨斯州立大学，这些材料将以外延薄膜、大块晶体和异质结构的形式生长。在纽约州立大学，将进行详细的结构表征，以了解这种新材料系统中的缺陷和缺陷的产生。在布里斯托尔大学，拉曼散射、光学和热电势特性将决定这种新材料系统的性能。我们将率先将二十面体硼化物结合到异质结构中，以实现新的性质，从而创造出具有潜在巨大好处的新应用，例如，高温热电应用。

The properties of the boron-rich icosahedral boride semiconductors B12As2 and B4C lie at the extremes in many categories such as high melting temperatures, hardness, and Seebeck coefficients. Consequently, this novel material class is attractive for applications such as high temperature as well as space electronics, neutron detectors, thermoelectronics and betavoltaic cells, the latter ones for the conversion of heat and nuclear energy, respectively, to electrical energy. A collaborative research effort between Kansas State University, SUNY and Bristol University is proposed to advance the synthesis and characterization of these new materials, as detailed insight is necessary to understand the effects of growth parameters on the structure and composition, and their effects on properties. The US side of the work would be supported by NSF, the UK side by EPSRC with corresponding proposals submitted to NSF and EPSRC. At Kansas State University, the materials will be grown as epitaxial films, bulk crystals and heterostructures. At SUNY, detailed structural characterizations will be performed to understand defect and defect generation in this new material system. At the University of Bristol, Raman scattering, optical and thermopower characterization will determine the properties of this new material system. We will be the first to combine the icosahedral borides into heterostructures to realize new properties to create new applications with potential great benefit to, for example, high temperature thermoelectric applications.