Agile and Repeatable Source for Molecular Beam Epitaxial Growth of Digital and Analog Alloys
Abstract
Major Goals: We enhanced our molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) growth infrastructure for synthesizing emerging photonic materials and devices that operate in the near-, mid-, and far-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Specifically, we purchased and installed a Veeco Mark V valved- antimony (corrosive series) cracker source and the associated accessories, which greatly enhanced our materials growth capabilities for mixed arsenide-antimonide-bismide analog and digital alloys. Accomplishments: This instrumentation has dramatically-enhance our ongoing DoD-sponsored research in several areas, including the synthesis of: (1) AlInAsSb digital alloy materials grown on InP and silicon substrates for near- and mid-infrared low-noise avalanche photodiodes (APD), (2) lattice- matched tunable bandgaps of InAsSbBi alloys grown on InSb substrates, and (3) type-II InAs/InAsSb superlattices on GaSb for power limiters and mid-/far-infrared detectors that exploit emergent light-matter interactions. The Veeco Mark V source features dramatically improved temporal flux modulation, greatly increased across-wafer flux uniformity, and several other design improvements over previous antimony source. These advantages have significantly improved our ability to fundamentally control the MBE growth process of the aforementioned materials, leading to new avenues in basic materials research, routes to improve discrete device performance, as well as the ability to produce uniform large-area samples necessary to demonstrate focal plane arrays. These critical new capabilities (lifespan 20-25 years) have dramatically enhanced the PIs - as well as his collaborators - current, upcoming, and long-term research efforts sponsored by DoD.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 29, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1221884
Entities
People
- Seth R. Bank
Organizations
- University of Texas at Austin