Low Dimensional Nitride Semiconductors

Optoelectronics and electronics of the years to come are likely to change dramatically. Most of the outdoor lighting systems will be replaced by light-emitting diodes that operate in the whole visible part of the electromagnatic spectrum. Transistors operating at high frequency and with high power are under development and likely to hit the market very rapidly. Compact solid-state lasers that operate in the near-ultraviolet range are going to be utilized for such widely used applications as read-write tasks in printer and CD drives. Ultraviolet detectors will be used at a wide scale for many application, ranging from flame detectors to medical instruments. This book concerns itself with the questions why nitride semiconductors are so promising over such a wide range of applications, what the current issues are in the research laboratories, and what the prospects of new electronic devices are in the dawn of the twenty-first century.

The study of electrons and holes confined to two, one and even zero dimensions has uncovered a rich variety of new physics and applications. This book describes the interaction between these confined carriers and the optic and acoustic phonons within and around the confined regions. Phonons provide the principal channel of energy transfer between the carriers and their surroundings and also the main restriction to their room temperature mobility. But they have many other roles; they provide for example an essential feature of the operation of the quantum cascade laser. Since their moment at the relevant energies are well matched to those of electrons, they can also be used to probe electronic properties such as the confinement width of 2D electron gases and the dispersion curve of quasiparticles in the fractional quantum Hall effect. The book describes both the physics of the electron-phonon interaction in the different confined systems and the experimental and theoretical techniques that have been used in its investigation. The experimental methods include optical and transport techniques as well techniques in which phonons are used as the experimental probe. The aim of the book is to provide an up-to-date review of the physics and its significance in device performance. It is also written to be explanatory and accessible to graduate students and others new to the field.

Starting with the first transistor in 1949, the world has experienced a technological revolution which has permeated most aspects of modern life, particularly over the last generation. Yet another such revolution looms up before us with the newly developed capability to control matter on the nanometer scale. A truly extraordinary research effort, by scientists, engineers, technologists of all disciplines, in nations large and small throughout the world, is directed and vigorously pressed to develop a full understanding of the properties of matter at the nanoscale and its possible applications, to bring to fruition the promise of nanostructures to introduce a new generation of electronic and optical devices. The physics of low dimensional semiconductor structures, including heterostructures, superlattices, quantum wells, wires and dots is reviewed and their modeling is discussed in detail. The truly exceptional material, Graphene, is reviewed; its functionalization and Van der Waals interactions are included here. Recent research on optical studies of quantum dots and on the physical properties of one-dimensional quantum wires is also reported. Chapters on fabrication of nanowire – based nanogap devices by the dielectrophoretic assembly approach. The broad spectrum of research reported here incorporates chapters on nanoengineering and nanophysics. In its presentation of tutorial chapters as well as advanced research on nanostructures, this book is ideally suited to meet the needs of newcomers to the field as well as experienced researchers interested in viewing colleagues’ recent advances.

This book is dedicated to GaN and its alloys AlGaInN (III-V nitrides), semiconductors with intrinsic properties well suited for visible and UV light emission and electronic devices working at high temperature, high frequency, and harsh environments. There has been a rapid growth in the industrial activity relating to GaN, with GaN now ranking at the second position (after Si) among all semiconductors. This is mainly thanks to LEDs, but also to the emergence of lasers and high power and high frequency electronics. GaN-related research activities are also diversifying, ranging from advanced optical sources and single electron devices to physical, chemical, and biological sensors, optical detectors, and energy converters. All recent developments of nitrides and of their technology are gathered here in a single volume, with chapters written by world leaders in the field. This third book of the series edited by B. Gil is complementary to the preceding two, and is expected to offer a modern vision of nitrides and of their devices to a large audience of readers.

Group III-Nitride Semiconductor Optoelectronics Discover a comprehensive exploration of the foundations and frontiers of the optoelectronics technology of group-III nitrides and their ternary alloys In Group III-Nitride Semiconductor Optoelectronics, expert engineer Dr. C. Jayant Praharaj delivers an insightful overview of the optoelectronic applications of group III-nitride semiconductors. The book covers all relevant aspects of optical emission and detection, including the challenges of optoelectronic integration and a detailed comparison with other material systems. The author discusses band structure and optical properties of III-nitride semiconductors, as well as the properties of their low-dimensional structures. He also describes different optoelectronic systems such as LEDs, lasers, photodetectors, and optoelectronic integrated circuits. Group III-Nitride Semiconductor Optoelectronics covers both the fundamentals of the field and the most cutting-edge discoveries. Chapters provide thorough connections between theory and experimental advances for optoelectronics and photonics. Readers will also benefit from: A thorough introduction to the band structure and optical properties of group III-nitride semiconductors Comprehensive explorations of growth and doping of group III-nitride devices and heterostructures Practical discussions of the optical properties of low dimensional structures in group III- nitrides In-depth examinations of lasers and light-emitting diodes, other light-emitting devices, photodetectors, photovoltaics, and optoelectronic integrated circuits Concise treatments of the quantum optical properties of nitride semiconductor devices Perfect for researchers in electrical engineering, applied physics, and materials science, Group III-Nitride Semiconductor Optoelectronics is also a must-read resource for graduate students and industry practitioners in those fields seeking a state-of-the-art reference on the optoelectronics technology of group III-nitrides.

This book contains full account of the advances made in the dilute nitrides, providing an excellent starting point for workers entering the field. It gives the reader easier access and better evaluation of future trends, Conveying important results and current ideas. Includes a generous list of references at the end of each chapter, providing a useful reference to the III-V-N based semiconductors research community. The high speed lasers operating at wavelength of 1.3 μm and 1.55 μm are very important light sources in optical communications since the optical fiber used as a transport media of light has dispersion and attenuation minima, respectively, at these wavelengths. These long wavelengths are exclusively made of InP-based material InGaAsP/InP. However, there are several problems with this material system. Therefore, there has been considerable effort for many years to fabricate long wavelength laser structures on other substrates, especially GaAs. The manufacturing costs of GaAs-based components are lower and the processing techniques are well developed. In 1996 a novel quaternary material GaInAsN was proposed which could avoid several problems with the existing technology of long wavelength lasers. In this book, several leaders in the field of dilute nitrides will cover the growth and processing, experimental characterization, theoretical understanding, and device design and fabrication of this recently developed class of semiconductor alloys. They will review their current status of research and development. Dilute Nitrides (III-N-V) Semiconductors: Physics and Technology organises the most current available data, providing a ready source of information on a wide range of topics, making this book essential reading for all post graduate students, researchers and practitioners in the fields of Semiconductors and Optoelectronics Contains full account of the advances made in the dilute nitrides, providing an excellent starting point for workers entering the field Gives the reader easier access and better evaluation of future trends, conveying important results and current ideas Includes a generous list of references at the end of each chapter, providing a useful reference to the III-V-N based semiconductors research community

Defects in Advanced Electronic Materials and Novel Low Dimensional Structures provides a comprehensive review on the recent progress in solving defect issues and deliberate defect engineering in novel material systems. It begins with an overview of point defects in ZnO and group-III nitrides, including irradiation-induced defects, and then look at defects in one and two-dimensional materials, including carbon nanotubes and graphene. Next, it examines the ways that defects can expand the potential applications of semiconductors, such as energy upconversion and quantum processing. The book concludes with a look at the latest advances in theory. While defect physics is extensively reviewed for conventional bulk semiconductors, the same is far from being true for novel material systems, such as low-dimensional 1D and 0D nanostructures and 2D monolayers. This book fills that necessary gap. Presents an in-depth overview of both conventional bulk semiconductors and low-dimensional, novel material systems, such as 1D structures and 2D monolayers Addresses a range of defects in a variety of systems, providing a comparative approach Includes sections on advances in theory that provide insights on where this body of research might lead