A. T. M. Golam Sarwar

Bio: A. T. M. Golam Sarwar is an academic researcher from Ohio State University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Nanowire & Molecular beam epitaxy. The author has an hindex of 12, co-authored 19 publications receiving 521 citations.

Semiconductor Nanowire Light Emitting Diodes Grown on Metal: A Direction towards Large Scale Fabrication of Nanowire Devices

Abstract: Bottom up nanowires are attractive for realizing semiconductor devices with extreme heterostructures because strain relaxation through the nanowire sidewalls allows the combination of highly lattice mismatched materials without creating dislocations. The resulting nanowires are used to fabricate light emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers, solar cells and sensors. However, expensive single crystalline substrates are commonly used as substrates for nanowire heterostructures as well as for epitaxial devices, which limits the manufacturability of nanowire devices. Here, we demonstrate nanowire LEDs directly grown and electrically integrated on metal. Optical and structural measurements reveal high-quality, vertically-aligned GaN nanowires on molybdenum and titanium films. Transmission electron microscopy confirms the composition variation in the polarization-graded AlGaN nanowire LEDs. Blue to green electroluminescence is observed from InGaN quantum well active regions, while GaN active regions exhibit ultraviolet emission. These results demonstrate a pathway for large-scale fabrication of solid state lighting and optoelectronics on metal foils or sheets.

Nanowire LEDs grown directly on flexible metal foil

Abstract: Using molecular beam epitaxy, self-assembled AlGaN nanowires are grown directly on Ta and Ti foils. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the nanowires are locally textured with the underlying metallic grains. Photoluminescence spectra of GaN nanowires grown on metal foils are comparable to GaN nanowires grown on single crystal Si wafers. Similarly, photoluminescence lifetimes do not vary significantly between these samples. Operational AlGaN light emitting diodes are grown directly on flexible Ta foil with an electroluminescence peak emission of ∼350 nm and a turn-on voltage of ∼5 V. These results pave the way for roll-to-roll manufacturing of solid state optoelectronics.

Tunnel junction enhanced nanowire ultraviolet light emitting diodes

Abstract: Polarization engineered interband tunnel junctions (TJs) are integrated in nanowire ultraviolet (UV) light emitting diodes (LEDs). A ∼6 V reduction in turn-on voltage is achieved by the integration of tunnel junction at the base of polarization doped nanowire UV LEDs. Moreover, efficient hole injection into the nanowire LEDs leads to suppressed efficiency droop in TJ integrated nanowire LEDs. The combination of both reduced bias voltage and increased hole injection increases the wall plug efficiency in these devices. More than 100 μW of UV emission at ∼310 nm is measured with external quantum efficiency in the range of 4–6 m%. The realization of tunnel junction within the nanowire LEDs opens a pathway towards the monolithic integration of cascaded multi-junction nanowire LEDs on silicon.

Tunnel Junction Enhanced Nanowire Ultraviolet Light Emitting Diodes

Abstract: Polarization engineered interband tunnel junctions (TJs) are integrated in nanowire ultraviolet (UV) light emitting diodes (LEDs). A ~6V reduction in turn-on voltage is achieved by the integration of tunnel junction at the base of polarization doped nanowire UV LEDs. Moreover, efficient hole injection into the nanowire LEDs leads to suppressed efficiency droop in TJ integrated nanowire LEDs. The combination of both reduced bias voltage and increased hole injection increases the wall plug efficiency in these devices. More than 100 microwatts of UV emission at ~310 nm is measured with external quantum efficiency in the range of 4 - 6 m%. The realization of tunnel junction within the nanowire LEDs opens a pathway towards the monolithic integration of cascaded multi-junction nanowire LEDs on silicon.

Ultrathin GaN quantum disk nanowire LEDs with sub-250 nm electroluminescence

Abstract: By quantum confining GaN at monolayer thickness with AlN barriers inside of a nanowire, deep ultraviolet LEDs are demonstrated. Full three-dimensional strain dependent energy band simulations are carried out within multiple quantum disk (MQD) GaN/AlN nanowire superlattice heterostructures. It is found that, even within the same nanowire MQD, the emission energy of the ultrathin GaN QDs varies from disk to disk due to the changing strain distribution and polarization charge induced energy band bending along the axial nanowire direction. MQD heterostructures are grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy to form self-assembled catalyst-free nanowires with 1 to 2 monolayer thick GaN insertions within an AlN matrix. Photoluminescence peaks are observed at 295 nm and 283 nm from the 2 ML and 1 ML thick MQD samples, respectively. Polarization-doped nanowire LEDs are grown incorporating 1 ML thick GaN MQD active regions from which we observe deep ultraviolet electroluminescence. The shortest LED wavelength peak observed is 240 nm and attributed to electron hole recombination within 1 ML thick GaN QDs.

Photocatalysis: Basic Principles, Diverse Forms of Implementations and Emerging Scientific Opportunities

Abstract: Photocatalysis promises a solution to challenges associated with the intermittent nature of sunlight which is considered as renewable and ultimate energy source to power activities on Earth. This review aims to provide a broad overview of the field. Insight into natural photosynthesis is discussed first, which provides a scientific basis for most efforts on photocatalysis. Afterwards, the details of four existing types of photocatalysis are presented, namely photosynthesis by plants, photosynthesis by microalgae, photocatalysis by suspension and photoelectrocatalysis. Detailed analyses of simple photocatalysts and integrated photocatalytic systems are followed to shed light on the different functionalities of different components in a working photocatalyst. Special attention is given to the roles played by surface and interface chemical phenomena. Lastly, perspectives on artificial photosynthesis are discussed briefly at the end.

Piezotronics and Piezo-phototronics of Third Generation Semiconductor Nanowires.

Abstract: With the fast development of nanoscience and nanotechnology in the last 30 years, semiconductor nanowires have been widely investigated in the areas of both electronics and optoelectronics. Among them, representatives of third generation semiconductors, such as ZnO and GaN, have relatively large spontaneous polarization along their longitudinal direction of the nanowires due to the asymmetric structure in their c-axis direction. Two-way or multiway couplings of piezoelectric, photoexcitation, and semiconductor properties have generated new research areas, such as piezotronics and piezo-phototronics. In this review, an in-depth discussion of the mechanisms and applications of nanowire-based piezotronics and piezo-phototronics is presented. Research on piezotronics and piezo-phototronics has drawn much attention since the effective manipulation of carrier transport, photoelectric properties, etc. through the application of simple mechanical stimuli and, conversely, since the design of new strain sensors based on the strain-induced change in semiconductor properties.

Synthesis and Applications of III-V Nanowires

Abstract: Low-dimensional semiconductor materials structures, where nanowires are needle-like one-dimensional examples, have developed into one of the most intensely studied fields of science and technology. The subarea described in this review is compound semiconductor nanowires, with the materials covered limited to III-V materials (like GaAs, InAs, GaP, InP,...) and III-nitride materials (GaN, InGaN, AlGaN,...). We review the way in which several innovative synthesis methods constitute the basis for the realization of highly controlled nanowires, and we combine this perspective with one of how the different families of nanowires can contribute to applications. One reason for the very intense research in this field is motivated by what they can offer to main-stream semiconductors, by which ultrahigh performing electronic (e.g., transistors) and photonic (e.g., photovoltaics, photodetectors or LEDs) technologies can be merged with silicon and CMOS. Other important aspects, also covered in the review, deals with synthesis methods that can lead to dramatic reduction of cost of fabrication and opportunities for up-scaling to mass production methods.

An AlGaN Core–Shell Tunnel Junction Nanowire Light-Emitting Diode Operating in the Ultraviolet-C Band

Abstract: To date, semiconductor light emitting diodes (LEDs) operating in the deep ultraviolet (UV) spectral range exhibit very low efficiency due to the presence of large densities of defects and extremely inefficient p-type conduction of conventional AlGaN quantum well heterostructures. We have demonstrated that such critical issues can be potentially addressed by using nearly defect-free AlGaN tunnel junction core–shell nanowire heterostructures. The core–shell nanowire arrays exhibit high photoluminescence efficiency (∼80%) in the UV–C band at room temperature. With the incorporation of an epitaxial Al tunnel junction, the p-(Al)GaN contact-free nanowire deep UV LEDs showed nearly one order of magnitude reduction in the device resistance, compared to the conventional nanowire p-i-n device. The unpackaged Al tunnel junction deep UV LEDs exhibit an output power >8 mW and a peak external quantum efficiency ∼0.4%, which are nearly one to two orders of magnitude higher than previously reported AlGaN nanowire device...