A SOLID STATE BLUE LASER BASED ON GAN/ALXGAL-XN PN JUNCTION HETEROSTRUCTURE

IN THIS PROPOSAL WE DISCUSS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A BLUE (POTENTIALLY GREEN AND OTHER WAVELENGTHS ALSO) SOLID STATE LASER BASED ON PN-JUNCTION HETEROSTRUCTURES IN THE AIXGA1-XN MATERIAL SYSTEM. THESE AIXGA1-XN BASED LASERS WILL BE IDEAL FOR USES IN OPTICAL RECORDING, COMMUNICATION AND LARGE SCREEN DISPLAY SYSTEMS. ESSENTIALLY ALL APPLICATIONS CURRENTLY BEING ADDRESSED BY ARGON-ION LASERS WILL BE IMPACTED. WE (AND OTHER GROUPS) HAVE DEPOSITED HIGH OPTICAL QUALITY (PHOTOLUMINESCENCE) N-TYPE SINGLE CRYSTALS AND QUANTUM WELLS OF AIXGA1-XN USING ATOMIC LAYER MOCVD. STIMULATED EMISSION HAS ALSO BEEN DEMONSTRATED BY PHOTOPUMPING N-TYPE MATERIAL CAVITIES. SEVERAL P-TYPE DOPANTS CAN BE INCORPORATED IN AIXGA1-XN (BANDGAP 3.6 TO 6.2 EV) WITH ZINC GIVING A STRONG RADIATIVE TRANSITION AT 470-480 NM. USING THIS WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED BLUE MIS EMITTERS. ONLY RECENTLY USING MOCVD P-TYPE GAN HAS FOR THE FIRST TIME BEEN DEPOSITED. MUCH EFFORT IS STILL NEEDED TO IMPROVE THE DOPING LEVELS, PHOTOLULMINESCENCE OF P-DOPED MATERIAL, AND THE P-DOPING OF THE ALLOY. THIS WILL BE THE PRIME FOCUS OF OUR PHASE I PROGRAM. LASER ASSISTED ALE WILL BE USED TO DEPOSIT AND CHARACTERIZE AIXGA1-XN PN-JUNCTIONS. THESE FORM THE BASIS OF AN AIXGA1-XN BASED BLUE LASER TO BE FABRICATED AND CHARACTERIZED IN PHASE II. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS/POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS - THE LASERS WE PLAN TO DEVELOP WILL BE IDEAL FOR ANY APPLICATION CURRENTLY ADDRESSED USING ARGON ION OR OTHER GAS LASERS. THEY WILL INCREASE OPTICAL RECORDING DENSITY BY A FACTOR OF FIVE. WE FEEL THEY WILL ALSO IMPACT THE BLUE-GREEN COMMUNICATION AREA. KEY WORDS - AIXGA1-XN, PN-JUNCTIONS, ATOMIC LAYER MOCVD, MICROLASERS.