9402938 Shih The Principal Investigator will investigate the structural, electronic and optoelectronic properties of semiconductor heterostructures and the correlation between them by using three forms of scanning probe microscopy (STM): scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/S), tip-induced luminescence, and localized photoluminescence based on scanning near field optical microscopy (SNOM). The unprecedented spatial resolution of these techniques make them the ideal tools for microscopic investigations of these properties at the heterostructure interfaces. The work will focus on: (1) band discontinuities; (2) metallurgical controllability; and (3) effects of structural defects on the electronic and optoelectronic properties. % % % % This project will develop novel experimental methods to study the physical properties at the interface between two different semiconductors. The study will allow direct visualization of the arrangement of different atoms at such interfaces. More importantly the study will allow one to understand how these atomic arrangements influence the behavior of electrons and the light emitting properties in electronic devices. The results will have immediate technological impact on the development of future electronic devices to be used in the next generation computers and optical communications. ***
