SBIR Phase I: Novel Heterostructure Doping for Optoelectronic Devices

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses the development of a novel technique for improving the efficiency of ultraviolet (UV) light emitting devices (LEDs). The UV LED fabrication process typically includes deposition of thin semiconductor films onto substrates that can be fabricated into devices. Traditionally, during the deposition process impurities are added to the semiconductor films to obtain the desired electrical properties. The introduction of the impurities, however, produces defects in the semiconductor materials that can limit the efficiency of the devices. The technique proposed in this project will modify the deposition process of the semiconductor films in order to obtain the desired electrical properties without the use of intentional impurities. This has the potential of producing much more efficient light emitters. The proposed technique has the added advantage of producing material whose electrical properties are less sensitive to temperature, which can prove useful for many applications. The composition of the semiconductor materials investigated in this project can be modified to produce LEDs capable of emitting light from the ultraviolet to visible range. A successful project will lead to an enabling technology for development of novel, high efficiency LEDs. The broader impacts/commercial potential of this project addresses the development of efficient light emitting semiconductor devices. Fundamental physical properties studied in this effort will enhance scientific and technological understanding of the nature of semiconductors. These advances may yield a new paradigm for functionalizing semiconductor materials for more efficient and higher performance optical and electronic devices. Possible applications for this technological advance include general room lighting, traffic lights, outdoor displays, automotive applications, water treatment, sterilization, and ultrahigh density optical storage systems. Moreover, the technique proposed in this work may lead to improvement in the performance of other microelectronic devices such as transistors, laser diodes, modulators and photodetectors. The proposed devices will enable unique high power and extreme temperature operation as the approach does not face the same limitations as currently used technology. Significant commercialization potential exists for the proposed technology on the basis of superior performing devices in the aforementioned categories.