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Low Temperature Formation of Group 13/15 Semiconductors | UVM Innovations | University of Vermont

Low Temperature Formation of Group 13/15 Semiconductors

UVM Reference Number: C765

Summary:

Produces bulk materials for ceramic semiconductors at significantly lower temperature and pressure without expensive and hazardous materials

Background:

Current methods of producing ceramic semiconductors that contain Groups 13 and 15 or Groups 13, 15, 16 elements require extreme conditions. This new technology is a method that produces these bulk materials at significantly lower temperatures and pressures. Additionally, the preparation method avoids the use of hazardous materials and expensive quartz glassware.

Technology Overview:

Most semiconductors used today are of “elemental” type based on Group 14 elements such as silicon or germanium. Composite-type semiconductors contain more than one element and there are many possible combinations that create an array of materials with different band gaps. Using this technology, Group 13 elements (boron, aluminum, gallium, or indium) can be combined with Group 15 elements (nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, or antinomy) to make a variety of nitrides, phosphide, arsenides, or antinomides that function as ceramic semiconductors. Sometimes, Group 16 elements such as oxygen, sulfur, selenium, or tellurium can be added as well to expand the electrical and materials properties. This matrix of ceramic materials (some of which are known and used in industry and some of which are novel) embodies a range of band gaps and, therefore, have a range of applications including LED lighting, transistors, solar cells, and thermal conductors.

Benefits:

Lower temperature formation – formation at temperatures an order of magnitude less than standard methods
Ambient conditions – formation at room pressures and open air
Uses bench stable, easily prepared molecular precursors – avoids less stable, more complicated pre-ceramic polymers
Avoids use of hazardous materials – in some cases, e.g., gallium phosphide can be produced without chemically toxic phosphine

Applications:

Ceramic semiconductor formation when lower temperature, ambient condition production is desirable
Example applications and mixtures for Group 13,15 and 16 semiconductors
- Boron arsenide: thermal conductor, used as a base layer in quantum computing
- Boron subarsenide: photovoltaics (solar cells)
- Gallium phosphide: light emitting diodes (LED)
- Gallium arsenide: various kinds of transistors
- Indium arsenide or antimonide – low temp transistors
- Indium phosphide – high temp transistors
- Boron phosphide: laser diodes (fiber optics, barcode readers, laser pointers, scanners, and printers, etc.)