We make materials and devices for integrated photonics, solar energy, electronics, and sensing. Starting in 2025, we will add III-nitride growth capabilities to the lab. In many cases, we pursue the direct growth of these materials on Si substrates to enable heterogeneous integration of diverse functionalities and ultimate scalability.
Why are III-V and III-N compound semiconductors of such great interest?
- The high speed and reliability of compound semiconductor devices are essential for next-generation wireless communication (5G, 6G) and optical data- and tele-communication (big data/AI, cloud computing).
- Integrated photonics chips using compound semiconductor devices will play an important future role in areas ranging from quantum computing to virtual/augmented reality.
- Compound semiconductor lasers, LEDs, and detectors are highly efficient over a wide range of wavelengths, making them ideal for portable applications such as displays, 3D sensing, and autonomous vehicles.
- Unique aspects of III-Ns
- The combination of high mobility, saturation velocity, and breakdown field make III-Ns ideal for both high-power and high-speed electronic devices.
- The wurtzite crystal structure of III-Ns enables polarization engineering that is not possible in cubic III-Vs, creating unique methods to control doping and electrostatics.
- Alloying with Sc and B causes III-Ns to become ferroelectric, creating new opportunities in electronics and photonics, such as compact optical modulators, memory devices, RF filters, and more.
- Unique aspects of III-Vs
- Ultra-high efficiency III-V solar cells are lightweight, reliable, and radiation-tolerant, so they will continue to be used commercially in satellites and other aerospace applications. With further scale-up, they will play a prominent role in clean power generation on earth.
- Narrow-bandgap III-Vs are critical for infrared detectors and emitters used in night vision and sensing.