Research
Clean Energy
Fabrication of Light Emitters Based on Tin-Germanium Alloys
James Kolodzey
- Package Design for High Performance Solar Cells
- 50% Efficient Solar Cells
- Fabrication of Light Emitters Based on Tin-Germanium Alloys
- Spintronic Sensors and Microwave Phase Detection
- Broadband Silicon-Based Quantum Dot Absorption Materials
- Terahertz Spectroscopy of Doped Nanostructures
- Dilute Nitride Technology for Infrared Detectors
- Germanium-Based Solar Cells for Long Wavelength Sensitivity
Current funding
US Air Force
Group Staff
Graduate Student
Matthew Coppinger
The objective is to fabricate and characterize light emitters and lasers that are fabricated from germanium-tin (GeSn) alloys, which will be produced by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). GeSn materials have been grown with high quality, and their energy bandgap is tunable in the mid-infrared range by adjusting the composition during epitaxial growth. The presence of tensile strain reduces the Γ conduction band in Ge grown on SiGeSn alloys. We will determine the characteristics and limitations of light emitting devices made from these direct bandgap alloys and strained layers. Group IV materials, especially GeSn alloys, are attractive for mid-IR light emitting devices, but are not yet well understood. By fabricating GeSn devices, and evaluating their properties, we will add valuable information about the behavior of these novel alloys under device operation.
