Acquisition of Equipment for Thermal Processes and Electrical Transport Characterization of Wide Band Gap and Ultra-Wide Band Gap Semiconductors

This instrumentation grant is to acquire High Temperature Furnaces and I-V/C-V and Hall Effect Measuring Systems. High temperature processes including implanted ions activation and rapid thermal annealing of contact metals for Wide Band Gap (WBG) and Ultra-Wide Band Gap (UWBG) Semiconductors. The electrical transport measurements with combo I-V and C-V parameter analyzer to determine the dopant concentration and the total metal-semiconductor resistance. Hall effect measurement will yield dopants type and concentration as well as the contact resistance. The instruments will be used for: (a) faculty research, (b) research education and training of undergraduate students and (c) engage high school students and teachers in summer research activities in the 21-county service area of ECSU, in the rural northeastern North Carolina. Our research group is currently funded by NSF to grow epilayer of ultra-wide band gap §-Ga2O3 by magnetron sputtering. The next logical step will be ion implantation and efficient activation of the implanted ion. Through collaboration with a neighboring research-intensive institution, low energy ions implantation will be employed for near surface, spatially selective doping. The requested high temperature furnaces will be used for implants activation and rapid contact metal annealing. Low p- and n-contacts resistance are essential for microelectronic devices to function optimally. In silicon carbide power devices, low contact resistance is routinely achieved by heavily doping the material with high-energy ion implant using accelerator system. The goal of this research project is to explore low energy implantation process, Laser Multi-Charged Ion (LMCI) implantation, to achieve heavy near surface (few nanometers deep) doping. The requested equipment will be used to develop high temperature dopants activation process and contact metallization scheme. The LMCI implantation process will be explored to dope UWBG À-Ga2O3 semiconductor produced by magnetron sputtering. Efficient dopants activation and contact metallization processes will be studied with the I-V/C-V and Hall effect instruments requested. The requested equipment will strengthen existing collaboration with neighboring institutions and expand materials research activities at ECSU by empowering the faculty to diversify their research focus and consequently be able to accommodate more underrepresented students in materials research. Only few faculty members are involved in externally funded research at ECSU. The institution is trying to change this status quo by recruiting faculty with extensive materials research experience. There has been uptick in collaborative research activities both within the institution and with faculty members from other neighboring institutions. More students are involved in research as well. The major goal of the PI is to establish research focus to train and prepare underrepresented and underserved students to be effective STEM professionals. Upon graduation, students will seamlessly transit into research-intensive graduate programs anywhere in the United States. Outreach activities to K-12 in the 21-county service area of ECSU is one of the missions of the institution as well. These research activities will engage high school students and teachers in summer research activities.