The semiconductor ZnO has gained substantial interest in the research community in part because of its large exciton binding energy (60meV) which could lead to lasing action based on exciton recombination even above room temperature. Even though research focusing on ZnO goes back many decades, the renewed interest is fueled by availability of high-quality substrates and reports of p-type conduction and ferromagnetic behavior when doped with transitions metals, both of which remain controversial. It is this renewed interest in ZnO which forms the basis of this review. As mentioned already, ZnO is not new to the semiconductor field, with studies of its lattice parameter dating back to 1935 by Bunn [Proc. Phys. Soc. London 47, 836 (1935)], studies of its vibrational properties with Raman scattering in 1966 by Damen et al. [Phys. Rev. 142, 570 (1966)], detailed optical studies in 1954 by Mollwo [Z. Angew. Phys. 6, 257 (1954)], and its growth by chemical-vapor transport in 1970 by Galli and Coker [Appl. Phys. ...

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A comprehensive review of zno materials and devices

Bulk nanostructured materials from severe plastic deformation

Physical metallurgy of Ti–Ni-based shape memory alloys

In the past ten years we have witnessed a revival of, and subsequent rapid expansion in, the research on zinc oxide (ZnO) as a semiconductor. Being initially considered as a substrate for GaN and related alloys, the availability of high-quality large bulk single crystals, the strong luminescence demonstrated in optically pumped lasers and the prospects of gaining control over its electrical conductivity have led a large number of groups to turn their research for electronic and photonic devices to ZnO in its own right. The high electron mobility, high thermal conductivity, wide and direct band gap and large exciton binding energy make ZnO suitable for a wide range of devices, including transparent thin-film transistors, photodetectors, light-emitting diodes and laser diodes that operate in the blue and ultraviolet region of the spectrum. In spite of the recent rapid developments, controlling the electrical conductivity of ZnO has remained a major challenge. While a number of research groups have reported achieving p-type ZnO, there are still problems concerning the reproducibility of the results and the stability of the p-type conductivity. Even the cause of the commonly observed unintentional n-type conductivity in as-grown ZnO is still under debate. One approach to address these issues consists of growing high-quality single crystalline bulk and thin films in which the concentrations of impurities and intrinsic defects are controlled. In this review we discuss the status of ZnO as a semiconductor. We first discuss the growth of bulk and epitaxial films, growth conditions and their influence on the incorporation of native defects and impurities. We then present the theory of doping and native defects in ZnO based on density-functional calculations, discussing the stability and electronic structure of native point defects and impurities and their influence on the electrical conductivity and optical properties of ZnO. We pay special attention to the possible causes of the unintentional n-type conductivity, emphasize the role of impurities, critically review the current status of p-type doping and address possible routes to controlling the electrical conductivity in ZnO. Finally, we discuss band-gap engineering using MgZnO and CdZnO alloys.

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Fundamentals of zinc oxide as a semiconductor

Wurtzitic ZnO is a wide-bandgap (3.437 eV at 2 K) semiconductor which has many applications, such as piezoelectric transducers, varistors, phosphors, and transparent conducting films. Most of these applications require only polycrystalline material; however, recent successes in producing large-area single crystals have opened up the possibility of producing blue and UV light emitters, and high-temperature, high-power transistors. The main advantages of ZnO as a light emitter are its large exciton binding energy (60 meV), and the existence of well-developed bulk and epitaxial growth processes; for electronic applications, its attractiveness lies in having high breakdown strength and high saturation velocity. Optical UV lasing, at both low and high temperatures, has already been demonstrated, although efficient electrical lasing must await the further development of good, p-type material. ZnO is also much more resistant to radiation damage than are other common semiconductor materials, such as Si, GaAs, CdS, and even GaN; thus, it should be useful for space applications.

Recent Advances in ZnO Materials and Devices

The crystal structure of a new compound, (C0.4Cu0.6)Sr2(Y0.86Sr0.14)Cu2O7, is derived from the structure of YBa2Cu3O7. Forty percent of CuO chains in the YBa2Cu3O7 structure are replaced by CO3 groups. This new compound has a superstructure along the a-axis and the c-axis. Diffuse superlattice reflections having periods of a∗/2-a∗/3 and c∗/2 were observed in electron diffraction patterns. Locally ordered distributions of C and Cu atoms were seen high-resolution images taken by transmission electron microscopy with an incident beam parallel to [010]. The basic structure of this superstructure was determined by neutron powder diffraction, assuming orthorhombic symmetry with the space group, Pmmm (lattice constants: a=3.8278(2), b=3.8506(2) and c=11.1854(5) A ).

The crystal structure of (C0.4Cu0.6)Sr2(Y0.86Sr0.14)Cu2O7

Theβ' phase precipitated in an Mg-2 at%Y (Mg 98 Y 2 ) alloy aged to a peak hardness condition at 200°C for 336 h has been studied by high-angle annular detector dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM). The β' precipitates have an about 20 nm size and definite facets parallel to the (010) plane, and Y-enriched double atom planes parallel to the (010) plane grow long and sometimes individually along the [100] and [001] directions. This morphology of the β' precipitates in the Mg 98 Y 2 alloy is remarkably different from that in an Mg 95 Gd 5 alloy.

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Characterization of β' Precipitate Phase in Mg-2 at%Y Alloy Aged to Peak Hardness Condition by High-Angle Annular Detector Dark-Field Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (HAADF-STEM)

We present high-resolution x-ray diffraction mesaurements of the recently discovered face-centered icosahedral phase of ${\mathrm{Al}}_{65}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{20}$${\mathrm{Ru}}_{15}$. Analysis of the diffraction-peak profiles shows that this alloy is better ordered than the simple-icosahedral alloys previously studied. In particular, the peak broadening is well accounted for by simple lattice strain, with no measurable dependence of the peak widths on phason momentum. This implies a significantly diminished role for phason disorder in this system relative to the simple-icosahedral alloys.

Al-Cu-Ru: An icosahedral alloy without phason disorder

An Al 70 Ni 15 Co 15 , alloy, known to form a stable decagonal quasicrystal, was subjected to various heat treatments and studied with electron diffraction and high-resolution electron microscopy. The alloy quenched from 800 o C forms a decagonal quasicrystal, which shows diffraction patterns with a large number of sharp spots located at perfect decagonal symmetry positions and also diffuse scatterings on the background. High-resolution electron microscopic observations of this decagonal quasicrystal show that the structure is formed by a pentagonal tiling of some atom clusters

Kenji Hiraga

Papers

The crystal structure of (C0.4Cu0.6)Sr2(Y0.86Sr0.14)Cu2O7

Characterization of β' Precipitate Phase in Mg-2 at%Y Alloy Aged to Peak Hardness Condition by High-Angle Annular Detector Dark-Field Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (HAADF-STEM)

Al-Cu-Ru: An icosahedral alloy without phason disorder

Structure and Structural Change of Al–Ni–Co Decagonal Quasicrystal by High-Resolution Electron Microscopy

New deformation twinning mode of B19′ martensite in Ti-Ni shape memory alloy