Electronic & Photonic Materials
The Electronic & Photonic Materials group provides a broad array of research activities in semiconductor materials growth, physical properties,
and electronic and optoelectronic devices. Because of their superior electronic and optoelectronic properties, GaAs, GaN, InP,
GaSb, and other III-V materials are playing an essential role in high-speed electronic devices, optical computing, fiber optics, defense,
and medical applications. Blue lasers for optical data storage and semiconductor lighting represent major activities in the Solid
State Lighting and Display Center. More recently, a research emphasis in Si and non-Si-based microelectromechanical systems has
emerged. Extensive state-of-the-art facilities are available for epitaxial growth by Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) and Metalorganic
Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) along with advanced processing capabilities of the UCSB Nanofabrication Facility.
Current research activities include:
- GaN and related materials. Extensive range of activities on GaN-based materials for high
efficiency light emitters, including bulk crystal growth by hydride vapor phase epitaxy, sublimation and ammonothermal growth,
as well as epitaxial growth by MOCVD and MBE. Fully integrated research ‘from the substrate to the system’.
Research on high brightness UV, blue, green, and white LEDs; blue and green laser diodes; photonic crystals; and high power, high
frequency transistors.
- GaAs, InP, and GaSb-based semiconductors. Research focused on quantum confined structures and
devices for vertical cavity laser diodes, high speed transistors and high speed electronics. Dedicated facilities for MBE and
MOCVD growth.
- Novel semi-metal /semiconductor composites. Development of all-epitaxial metal/semiconductor
nanocomposite systems for THz devices, thermoelectrics and advanced metal-semiconductor contacts, with particular emphasis on
rare-earth arsenides (e.g., ErAs), phosphides, antimonides, and nitrides.
- Spintronics. Transition metal-doped compound semiconductors for spin physics in semiconductors
and for spintronic devices.
- Semiconducting oxides. Exploration of the potential for new class of semiconductors based on
transparent conducting oxides including ZnO, In2O3, SnO2 and Ga2O3.
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