Self-Organising Low-Dimensional Electronic Structures
Description
- Project Title:
- Self-Organising Low-Dimensional Electronic Structures
- Acronym:
- SOLDES
- Number:
- 7260
- Work Area:
- Nanoelectronics
- Coordinator:
- University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST)
Centre for Electronic Materials
Sackville Street
PO Box 88
UK - MANCHESTER M60 1QD
- Coordinator Country:
- UK
- Partners
- Philips Universität Marburg D
CNRS-SNCI Grenoble/CNRS-INSA Toulouse F
- Associate Partners
- Thomson CSF Corbeville F
Universita Modena I
- Contact Point:
- Prof. A.R. Peaker
- Telephone:
- +44/61-200-4752
- Fax:
- +44/61-200-4770
- E-Mail:
- arp@uk.ac.umist
- Keywords:
- low-dimensional structures, quantum wires and dots, zeolites, porous silicon, erbium arsenide
- Start Date:
- 30 June 92
- Duration:
- 36 months
- Status:
- running
- Abstract:
- Electronic material systems are being investigated with a view to making quantum dots and wires using materials and process steps that naturally self-organise into low-dimensional systems.
AIMS
The aim of this project is to make quantum dots and wires using materials and process steps which naturally self-organise into low-dimensional systems. This could provide a viable alternative to the use of nanolithography in producing quantum size effects in zero and one dimensions. The work will be targeted at optical and transport properties.
APPROACH AND METHODS
Three very different systems are being investigated with a view to achieving self-organising low-dimensional structures. The first is to use a class of solids known as zeolites to provide template for the growth of semiconductors. Zeolite crystals grow with naturally occurring cages and columns. The dimensions of these are uniquely defined by the crystal structure, and to some extent, this can be tailored to meet specific requirements. We plan to grow a range of custom designed zeolites and to incorporate semiconductors into them, primarily by MOCVD. The growth work will be guided by theoretical calculations of the optical and transport properties, and supported by detailed luminescence and transport measurements.
The second system that is being investigated is based on a phase separation process which has been observed to occur during MBE. Using this technique it is possible to produce a three dimensional array of quantum dots with well defined sizes chosen within the range 12 - 50 Å. So far, this work has produced erbium arsenide dots in a gallium arsenide matrix, but other materials will be produced using analogous techniques.
The third system is produced by an electrochemical etching technique. This is a naturally limiting process which is believed to produce narrow wires of silicon which exhibit quantum confinement. This work will be conducted in collaboration with the EOLIS (7228) project.
PROGRESS AND RESULTS
Zeolites
Growth techniques have been developed to produce a range of zeolites suitable for semiconductor containment. Adequately sized single crystal zeolite Y (hexagonal and cubic), silicalite II, ALPO5, SAPO4, rho, silicate I and MCM41 have been grown. Sufficient stocks of these are now held for semiconductor incorporation. These zeolites should enable us to produce dots and wires in the size range 5.3Å - 38Å. InP and GaP have been inserted into the channels of zeolite Y and Si into silicates. NMR indicates that some measure of success has been achieved, but PL is very weak.
Porous Silicon
Work on the chemical structure of the porous silicon surface has demonstrated that the role of hydrogen is as a passivating agent NOT as a luminescence centre. Total replacement of the hydrogen by oxygen (as measured by IR absorption and ESR) can result in highly luminescent material. Transport measurements in conjunction with TEM indicate that the porous silicon examined (including some from the EOLIS project) does not contain quantum wires but is made up of isolated dots of silicon in a silica matrix. Calculations using a new ab initio real space technique (based on the Local Density Approximation) are under way to examine the properties of these structures.
Erbium Arsenide Dots and Wires
It is now possible for us to controllably grow dots of the semi metal Erbium Arsenide in a Gallium Arsenide matrix with diameters in the range 10-25Å. A number of wires of diameter ~20Å have also been grown and made into samples for transport studies. Universal conductance fluctuations have been observed in these structures.
POTENTIAL
The main attraction of using these techniques for producing low-dimensional systems is their potential low cost and high yield. Applications in optical devices, communications and fast signal processing are foreseen.
LATEST PUBLICATIONS
- Ossicini S, Fasolino A and Bernadini F Electronic Properties of Low Dimensional Silicon Structures to be published in NATO Advanced Workshop Series (1993)
- Singer K E, Rutter P, Peaker A R and Wright A C Self-organising growth of erbium arsenide quantum dots and wires in gallium arsenide by molecular beam epitaxy to be published in Applied Physics Letters (1993)
- Anderson M W, Logothetis G K, Pemble M E, Taylor A G, Wallace N C and Yates H M In situ mechanistic studies of the relation of trimethyl gallium and phosphide in zeolite H-Y to be published in Advanced Materials for Optics and Electronics (1993)
- Gardelis S, Dawson P and Hamilton B Energy localisation and surface interactions in the luminescence of porous silicon to be published in NATO Advanced Workshop Series (1993)
- Peaker A R, Efeoglu H, Langer J M, Wright A C, Poole I and Singer K E Erbium doped gallium arsenide ... a self organising low dimensional system MRS Symp. Procs "Rare Earth Doped Semiconductors", Eds. Pomrenke G S, Klein P B and Langer D W, pp. 337-346 (1993)
Sven Müßig, last update 07-nov-1995. Your feedback is welcome.