Novel Semiconductors and Semiconductor Nanostructures using Energetic Beams
Novel Semiconductors and Semiconductor Nanostructures using Energetic Beams
Metastable Material Formation by Pulsed Laser Melting
Optoelectronic Silicon
Novel compound semiconductors and patterning methods
We are using Pulsed Laser Melting (PLM), illustrated in Fig. 1, in the fabrication of semiconductor alloys, some of which cannot be fabricated by any other method. We are also using these processes for the patterning of some semiconductors in geometries that cannot be achieved by other methods. An illustration of what is going on during the transient melting and solidification process is provided in Fig. 2. Remarkably, such high-energy processes capable of significant materials damage can be engineered to make sufficiently "good stuff" for optoelectronic devices. We are focusing on materials with potential applications in light emission, detection, photovoltaics, and spintronics.
Metastable Material Formation by Pulsed Laser Melting
The farther from equilibrium you drive a materials fabrication process, the greater the range of phases, compositions, and microstructures that is permitted to form by thermodynamics. We have done a great deal of research on the kinetics of rapid solidification, elucidating many aspects of the structure and composition actually selected by nature's kinetic laws of solidification and other crystal growth processes. This research is reviewed in the page on Nonequilibrium Growth Kinetics. In the pages indicated below we describe some ongoing research associated with applying the understanding developed previously to make some very interesting materials for applications from optoelectronics to spintronics.
Optically active silicon-based alloys
Novel compound semiconductors and patterning methods