Acquisition of Instrumentation for III-V/II-VI Heterovalent Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Funds are requested for setting up a hybrid molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system consisting of two growth chambers, with an ultrahigh vacuum channel for transporting wafers from one chamber to the other. Specifically, this proposal requests funds for a second MBE growth chamber for III-V layers, and a transfer channel, which will be added on to an existing MBE growth chamber for II-VI compounds and alloys. The individual growth chambers will be devoted to epitaxy and doping of III-V and of II-VI semiconductor compounds. The UHV transport channel will permit epitaxial deposition of II-VI layers and heterostructures directly on III-V epilayers. The research program includes studies of the interface to understand mechanisms which determine nucleation of heterovalent growth; studies of II-VI material growth on III-V epilayer alloy substrates and lattice matching for particular II-VI compounds or short-period superlattices; exploration of injection of carriers in heterovalent heterojunctions from the III-V into the II-VI region; and exploration of the magnetic proximity effects which may occur at the interface of a III-V material with a II-VI based diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) as a result of electron wavefunction penetration from the III-V into the DMS region. Structural, optical, electronic, and neutron scattering studies on the proposed materials will be conducted. About 8 grad students, 2 undergrad students, and 1 post-doc will be directly involved in the program. The instrumentation is to be maintained and operated by the university and the research group. The university is providing significant matching funds (48%).