9631546 Krupitskaya This Research Planning Grant focuses on doping of Aluminum Nitride(AlN), a material with wide direct band gap (6.2 eV), and a promising material for the development of unique UV optoelectronic, high temperature, high power, and negative electron affinity (such as flat panel display emitters) devices. In this project a preliminary investigation of in-situ doping of AlN will be performed using a series of impurities, which are theoretically shallow dopants, incorporated into epitaxial AlN thin films. Initial experiments will study Mg as an acceptor and Si as a donor impurity. Under conditions of strong self-compensation with native defects, other techniques such as temperature annealing in different ambients and the use of other impurity species will be considered. The properties of the doped AlN semiconductors will be investigated using electrical and optical measurement techniques, X-ray diffraction, High Resolution Transmission Electron Diffraction (HTEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) an d Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM). Further characterization and analysis will assess the influence of impurities on electrical and structural properties of AlN films. %%% While this project will focus primarily on the study of controlled conductivity in a potentially advantageous optoelectronic material, aluminum nitride, it will also be of general benefit to similar properties and desirable features of group III nitrides, and will contribute to a greater understanding of materials issues for these semiconductors. The planning grant will aid the PI in accomplishing enough preliminary work to show the promise of ideas or to modify them based on the data acquired. Thus, support during the planning period will aid the PI in preparing a more competitive full proposal. *** _
