CAREER: Engineered Substrates of Semiconductor Alloys: A Fundamentally-Based Novel Approach

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY

Investigators

Abstract

The research aspect of this CAREER proposal focuses on a novel and fundamental approach for fabricating and engineering tunable band gap and lattice constant multi-component semiconductor substrates for optoelectronic, photonic, high speed electronic, spintronic, micro-electro-mechanical systems and photovoltaic applications. The proposed substrate engineering technology is based upon several advanced concepts recently developed in the areas of ternary and quaternary bulk crystal growth from melts, thermodynamic modeling of multi-component alloys, and interfacial defect generation by the principal investigator. As a part of this career award, a new Substrate Engineering Reactor will be designed and installed for compatible multi-component substrate growth and hetero-epitaxy. Multi-component engineered substrates of III-V compounds and related device structures will be fabricated by employing the new fundamental approach. The integration of the proposed research with undergraduate and graduate education at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will include: (a) development of new introductory level interdisciplinary course for undergraduates in the area of compound semiconductor materials and device structures with specific focus towards microelectronics, optoelectronics, and spintronics, (b) development of a graduate level course on emerging materials and high performance device technologies, (c) research opportunities for at least two doctoral students and several undergraduate and master's students in the areas of substrate engineering and device fabrication on multi-component alloys with specific focus towards new device architectures. The introduction of the above topics into the undergraduate and graduate curriculum is in synergy with Rensselaer's educational plans and will enable and enhance student's exposure to rapidly growing modern and future semiconductor technologies.