An RF Plasma Nitrogen Source for the Development of Nanoscale Nitride Semiconductors for Phosphor-Free Solid State Lighting, Solar Fuels, and Chip-Level Optical Communications

氮化化合物半导体，包括氮化镓、氮化氮、氮化氮及其合金，已成为固态照明、光伏、芯片级光通信以及高功率和高温电子器件的首选材料。自2007年加入麦吉尔大学以来，申请人建立了分子束外延（MBE）生长基础设施，用于iii -氮化物纳米级半导体的研究和开发。在过去的几年中，他的团队率先开发了iii -氮化物纳米级半导体，包括量子点和纳米线及其设备应用。这个独特的MBE增长设施是加拿大首个此类设施，已经实现了广泛的研究项目，包括8个NSERC战略项目和2个NSERC I2I项目，涉及新兴的固态照明，太阳能电池，太阳能燃料和芯片级光通信。这些研究活动涉及来自加拿大8所大学的20多位教授。然而，射频等离子体氮源，氮化物MBE生长设施的重要组成部分，最近失败了。因此，他们的研究进展受到严重限制。目前在加拿大的任何大学、公司或政府实验室都没有其他的MBE生长系统适合这些项目所需的纳米级氮化半导体的开发。因此，迫切需要射频等离子体氮源的获取。这将大大加快他们的研究进度，将为申请人组中的60多名学生/博士后提供一个充满活力的培训环境，并将有助于使加拿大在技术上重要的氮基材料，设备和系统方面处于领先地位。

Nitride compound semiconductors, including GaN, InN, AlN, and their alloys, have emerged as the materials of choice for solid state lighting, photovoltaics, chip-level optical communications, and high power and high temperature electronic devices. Upon joining McGill University in 2007, the applicant has established a molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) growth infrastructure for the research and development of III-nitride nanoscale semiconductors. In the last several years, his group has pioneered in the development III-nitride nanoscale semiconductors, including quantum dots and nanowires and their device applications. This unique MBE growth facility, the first of its kind in Canada, has enabled a wide range of research projects, including 8 NSERC Strategic and 2 NSERC I2I Projects on the emerging solid state lighting, solar cells, solar fuels, and chip-level optical communications. These research activities involve over twenty professors in 8 Canadian universities. However, the RF plasma nitrogen source, an essential component of the nitride MBE growth facility, has recently failed. As a consequence, progress in their research has been severely limited. There is currently no other MBE growth system in any Canadian Universities, companies, or government labs that are suitable for the development of nanoscale nitride semiconductors required for these projects. The acquisition of an RF plasma nitrogen source is therefore urgently needed. It will significantly accelerate their research progress, will lead to a dynamic training environment for the well over 60 students/postdocs in the applicants' group, and will be instrumental to put Canada on the map for the technologically important nitride-based materials, devices, and systems.