Nitride Semiconductors
Description / Outline
Amongst the
nitrides, a variety of materials are of high interest for applications in
electronic devices. For instance, nitride semiconductors include wide bandgap
materials, which enable the realization of more energy-efficient power
electronic devices [1]. Some of these materials are already widely applied in
some of their potential application areas, such as GaN in LEDs and increasingly
also in power electronics [2]. Aside from a small group of comparatively
well-established materials (GaN and AlN), there is a large number of materials
that have seen only little investigation but have the potential to
significantly widen the spectrum of physical properties available [3]. A
promising method for producing nitride single crystals of high structural
quality is the ammonothermal synthesis, a solution growth method that uses
supercritical ammonia as the solvent [4,5].
Besides the synthesis and characterization of nitride materials, the research goals also include the evaluation of prospective applications in electronic devices. This group is currently in the process of being established. Due to the strongly cross-disciplinary nature of the research program, there will be opportunities for students and graduates of different study programs, including electrical engineering, chemical engineering, materials science, chemistry, physics, and related disciplines.
[1] J.Y. Tsao et al.: Ultrawide-Bandgap Semiconductors: Research Opportunities and Challenges, Adv. Electron. Mater., 4, 1600501 (2018) https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.201600501
[2] H. Amano et al.: The 2018 GaN power electronics roadmap, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 51, 163001 (2018) https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6463/aaaf9d
[3] D. Jena et al.: The new nitrides: layered, ferroelectric, magnetic, metallic and superconducting nitrides to boost the GaN photonics and electronics eco-system, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 58, SC0801 (2019) https://doi.org/10.7567/1347-4065/ab147b
[4] J. Häusler, W. Schnick: Ammonothermal Synthesis of Nitrides: Recent Developments and Future Perspectives, Chem. Eur. J., 24, 11864 (2018) https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201800115
[5] K. Kurimoto et al.: Low-pressure acidic ammonothermal growth of 2-inch-diameter nearly bowing-free bulk GaN crystals, Appl. Phys. Express 15, 055504 (2022) https://doi.org/10.35848/1882-0786/ac67fc