Stephen J. Pearton

Bio: Stephen J. Pearton is an academic researcher from University of Florida. The author has contributed to research in topics: Dry etching & Etching (microfabrication). The author has an hindex of 104, co-authored 1913 publications receiving 58669 citations. Previous affiliations of Stephen J. Pearton include Kyungpook National University & University of Southern California.

Electrically pumped, room-temperature microdisk semiconductor lasers with submilliampere threshold currents

Abstract: Summary form only given. Electrically pumped whispering-gallery mode microdisk lasers with single-mode operation and submilliampere threshold current at room temperature have been demonstrated. Semiconductor microdisks 10 mu m in diameter and 340-nm thick including four 100-AA InGaAs quantum well layers separated by 150-AA InGaAsP barriers are fabricated with InP support pedestals above (p-type) and below (n-type) the disk. A 4.5- mu m-diameter metal disk atop the p-type pedestal provides electrical contact to the laser structure. The semiconductor disks form high-Q optical resonators for the whispering-gallery mode around the edge of the disk. Electrical pulses 0.3 mu s in length at levels near 1 V and 1 mA result in lasing at room temperature for wavelengths near 1.58 mu m with emission from the edge of the disk. At 1-mA current levels the peak laser emission is 9 dB above the spontaneous emission background and at 8 mA it is 26 dB above the background. >

Oxygen gas sensing at low temperature using indium zinc oxide-gated AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

Abstract: Indium zinc oxide (IZO)-gated AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) were used to detect oxygen gas. Amorphous IZO films with high carrier concentration of 1021 cm−3 were deposited on the gate region of the HEMTs by cosputtering from ZnO and In2O3 targets. The changes in IZO gated-AlGaN/GaN HEMT drain current were used to monitor the presence of oxygen. The IZO gated AlGaN/GaN HEMT sensors were tested with O2 at room temperature, 50 °C, and 120 °C. There was no response to O2 at room temperature. At 50 °C, the sensors could sense O2 but gradually saturated. The sensor showed a strong response to the oxygen gas at 120 °C, which is a much lower temperature than with conventional oxide-based oxygen sensors that typically operate in the range of 400–700 °C. This enhanced oxygen sensing sensitivity was due to the amplification effect of the AlGaN/GaN HEMT. A preannealing step at 350 °C was also found to improve the sensitivity and response time of O2 sensing at 120 °C.

Defects and ion redistribution in implant-isolated GaAs-based device structures

Abstract: Implant isolation of thick GaAs based epitaxial structures using either multiple energy keV ions or a single MeV ion implantation is becoming more popular for devices such as heterojunction bipolar transistors or quantum well lasers. We report examples of both types of isolation schemes, using keV F+ and H+ ions, or MeV O+ ions. Post‐implant annealing at temperatures in the range 500–600 °C is needed to maximize the resistivity of the implanted material, but this causes redistribution of both F and H (but not O) and accumulation of hydrogen at strained or ion‐damaged interfaces. The amount of hydrogen motion is sufficient to cause concerns about dopant passivation occurring in the initially masked, active regions of the devices. The resistance of the ion‐implanted regions is stable for periods of ≥50 days at 200 °C, and is controlled by deep level point defects which pin the Fermi level near mid gap.

Nonpolar GaN grown on Si by hydride vapor phase epitaxy using anodized Al nanomask

Abstract: GaN growth by the hydride vapor phase technique on (100) Si substrates masked by porous Al anodic oxide is described. The masks were prepared by vacuum deposition of Al with subsequent anodic oxidation in dilute sorrel acid. The grown GaN layer is nonpolar, with (112¯0) a-orientation and a full width at half maximum of the (112¯0) reflection below 500 arc sec and showing small anisotropy. This result is comparable with the results obtained for a-GaN growth using selective epitaxy or advanced buffer growth routines. Microcathodoluminescence spectra of the grown films confirm a low density of stacking faults. Possible growth mechanisms are discussed.

A comprehensive review of zno materials and devices

Abstract: 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. ...

Spintronics: Fundamentals and applications

Abstract: Spintronics, or spin electronics, involves the study of active control and manipulation of spin degrees of freedom in solid-state systems. This article reviews the current status of this subject, including both recent advances and well-established results. The primary focus is on the basic physical principles underlying the generation of carrier spin polarization, spin dynamics, and spin-polarized transport in semiconductors and metals. Spin transport differs from charge transport in that spin is a nonconserved quantity in solids due to spin-orbit and hyperfine coupling. The authors discuss in detail spin decoherence mechanisms in metals and semiconductors. Various theories of spin injection and spin-polarized transport are applied to hybrid structures relevant to spin-based devices and fundamental studies of materials properties. Experimental work is reviewed with the emphasis on projected applications, in which external electric and magnetic fields and illumination by light will be used to control spin and charge dynamics to create new functionalities not feasible or ineffective with conventional electronics.

Graphene-based composites

Abstract: Graphene has attracted tremendous research interest in recent years, owing to its exceptional properties. The scaled-up and reliable production of graphene derivatives, such as graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), offers a wide range of possibilities to synthesize graphene-based functional materials for various applications. This critical review presents and discusses the current development of graphene-based composites. After introduction of the synthesis methods for graphene and its derivatives as well as their properties, we focus on the description of various methods to synthesize graphene-based composites, especially those with functional polymers and inorganic nanostructures. Particular emphasis is placed on strategies for the optimization of composite properties. Lastly, the advantages of graphene-based composites in applications such as the Li-ion batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, photovoltaic devices, photocatalysis, as well as Raman enhancement are described (279 references).

Fundamentals of zinc oxide as a semiconductor

Abstract: 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.