Sustainable, human-safe, and compact deep ultraviolet light sources

半导体技术已经发展了70多年，几代人见证了它们对人类社会的变革性影响。例子包括近红外激光二极管，它已经成为现代光通信的支柱，以及最近出现的蓝色发光二极管，它已经彻底改变了我们照亮世界的方式。然而，与这些在近红外和可见光谱范围内的高度先进的设备相比，在短波长紫外线（UV）范围内的先进设备仍然缺失。在紫外线范围内的光源目前应用于广泛的应用，包括消毒以对抗致命病毒和固化许多行业的聚合物。今天，这种光源依赖于有毒的汞，这危害了生态系统和环境。用先进的半导体器件取代它们的迫切需求是显而易见的。该团队打算应用氮化镓纳米结构，超越目前最先进的技术，实现可持续的、对人体安全的、紧凑的深紫外光子器件。这一目标将通过解决包括p型掺杂和光萃取在内的长期挑战的新方法来实现。节能、环保、短波长的紫外光源是全世界半导体界追求的目标。在这个方向上的任何成功都将是一个重大的飞跃。从这项研究中产生的新的光子器件技术将对魁北克和加拿大其他省份的半导体和光子产业产生直接影响，导致其制造业产出的扩大，新产品的增加，并刺激就业机会。该项目培养的下一代科学家、研究人员和工程师也将使魁北克和加拿大其他省份的科技产业受益。当然，新技术将深刻地影响我们的社会，改变我们对食物消毒、处理废水以及检测生物或化学危害的方式。此外，我们的设备还将创造现有技术目前无法实现的宝贵新机会，包括便携式化学荧光传感和消毒设备，这些设备可由加拿大北部地区的社区和部署在能源效率和便携性至关重要的偏远地区的工作人员使用。

Semiconductor technologies have been evolving over 70 years, and their transformative impact on human society has been witnessed by generations. Examples include near-infrared laser diodes that have become the backbone of modern optical communications and the recent advent of blue light-emitting diodes that have been revolutionizing the way we illuminate the world. However, in contrast to these highly advanced devices in the near-infrared and visible spectral ranges, advanced devices have remained missing in the short-wavelength ultraviolet (UV) range. Light sources, in the UV range, are currently applied in a wide range of applications including disinfection to combat deadly viruses and curing polymers for many industries. Today, such light sources rely on toxic mercury, which jeopardizes ecosystems and the environment. The urgent need to replace them with advanced semiconductor devices is obvious. The team intends to apply gallium nitride nanostructures beyond the current state-of-the-art, to realize sustainable, human-safe, and compact deep UV photonic devices. This goal will be achieved through novel approaches to address long-standing challenges including p-type doping and light extraction. Energy-efficient, environment-friendly, short-wavelength UV light sources is a goal of the semiconductor community throughout the world. Any success in this direction would be a major leap forward. The new photonic device technologies stemming from this research would then have a direct impact on semiconductor and photonic industries in both Quebec and other Canadian provinces, leading to an expansion in their manufacturing output, additions of new products, and stimulating job opportunities. The future-generation of scientists, researchers, and engineers cultivated from this program will also benefit the tech industries in both Quebec and other Canadian provinces. Certainly, the new technologies will influence our society profoundly, changing the way we disinfect food, handle waste water, and detect biological or chemical hazards. Moreover, our devices will also create valuable new opportunities currently inaccessible with existing technologies, including portable chemical fluorescence sensing and disinfection devices, which could be used by communities in the Canadian northern territories and by deployed workers in remote locations where energy efficiency and portability are critical.