DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL WIDE BANDGAP BLUE LIGHT EMITTING DIODES

THE EPITAXIAL GROWTH OF HIGH QUALITY WIDE BANDGAP II-VI HETEROSTRUCTURES WILL BE INVESTIGATED. THE RECENT DEMONSTRATION OF BLUE LASERS IN ZNSE BASED MATERIALS HAS REINVIGORATED INTEREST IN THE II-VI WIDE BANDGAP MATERIALS AS LIGHT EMITTERS. IT IS ENVISIONED THAT THESE MATERIALS WILL RAPIDLY REPLACE THE MUCH LESS EFFICIENT SIC BASED BLUE LEDS. WE PRESENTLY HAVE A FUNDED MATERIALS EFFORT IN ZNSE BASED BLUE LIGHT EMITTERS. IN THIS EFFORT, WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP A MORE NOVEL BUT POTENTIALLY MORE EFFICIENT II-VI MATERIAL SYSTEM. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED USING AN ULTRAHIGH VACUUM EPITAXIAL GROWTH SYSTEM COMBINED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ADVANCED ELEMENTAL VAPOR TRANSPORT TECHNIQUE OPERATING IN THE 10-3 - 10-6 TORR RANGE. THE TECHNIQUE IS CALLED ELEMENTAL VAPOR TRANSPORT EPITAXY (EVTE). THE TECHNIQUE IS A HYBRID OFFERING THE ADVANTAGES OF BOTH MOCVD AND MBE WITH NONE OF THE DISADVANTAGES. IN PHASE I, THE GROWTH AND MATERIALS CHARACTERISTICS OF MNSE, CDMNSE AND MNSSE STRUCTURES NEEDED FOR LIGHT EMITTING DIODES WOULD BE DETERMINED. IN PHASE II, DOPING TECHNIQUES WOULD BE ESTABLISHED AND FUNCTIONAL DEVICES WOULD BE FABRICATED AND CHARACTERIZED. ALSO IN PHASE II, ADDITIONAL II-VI/III-V HETEROEPITAXY STRUCTURES COULD BE INVESTIGATED. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS/POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS - SUCCESSFUL MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT OF MNSE, CDMNSE AND MNSSE HETEROSTRUCTURES IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEVICES SUCH AS BLUE LIGHT EMITTING DIODES. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HYBRID, HIGH-YIELD TECHNIQUE CAPABLE OF ADDRESSING II-VI, III-V AND GROUP IV MATERIALS WITHIN ONE GROWTH SYSTEM WILL SIGNIFICANTLY ADVANCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTORS.