Matching Items (104)
Description
As the world energy demand increases, semiconductor devices with high energy conversion efficiency become more and more desirable. The energy conversion consists of two distinct processes, namely energy generation and usage. In this dissertation, novel multi-junction solar cells and light emitting diodes (LEDs) are proposed and studied for high energy conversion efficiency in both processes, respectively. The first half of this dissertation discusses the practically achievable energy conversion efficiency limit of solar cells. Since the demonstration of the Si solar cell in 1954, the performance of solar cells has been improved tremendously and recently reached 41.6% energy conversion efficiency. However, it seems rather challenging to further increase the solar cell efficiency. The state-of-the-art triple junction solar cells are analyzed to help understand the limiting factors. To address these issues, the monolithically integrated II-VI and III-V material system is proposed for solar cell applications. This material system covers the entire solar spectrum with a continuous selection of energy bandgaps and can be grown lattice matched on a GaSb substrate. Moreover, six four-junction solar cells are designed for AM0 and AM1.5D solar spectra based on this material system, and new design rules are proposed. The achievable conversion efficiencies for these designs are calculated using the commercial software package Silvaco with real material parameters. The second half of this dissertation studies the semiconductor luminescence refrigeration, which corresponds to over 100% energy usage efficiency. Although cooling has been realized in rare-earth doped glass by laser pumping, semiconductor based cooling is yet to be realized. In this work, a device structure that monolithically integrates a GaAs hemisphere with an InGaAs/GaAs quantum-well thin slab LED is proposed to realize cooling in semiconductor. The device electrical and optical performance is calculated. The proposed device then is fabricated using nine times photolithography and eight masks. The critical process steps, such as photoresist reflow and dry etch, are simulated to insure successful processing. Optical testing is done with the devices at various laser injection levels and the internal quantum efficiency, external quantum efficiency and extraction efficiency are measured.
ContributorsWu, Songnan (Author) / Zhang, Yong-Hang (Thesis advisor) / Menéndez, Jose (Committee member) / Ponce, Fernando (Committee member) / Belitsky, Andrei (Committee member) / Schroder, Dieter (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2010
Description
CdTe/MgCdTe double heterostructures (DHs) integrated with a heavily-doped a-Si:H layer as the hole contact was demonstrated a record open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 1.11 V and an active-area efficiency of 20% in 2016. Despite this significant progress, some of the underlying device physics has not been fully understood. The first part of this dissertation reports a systematic study of the CdTe/MgCdTe DH devices. The CdTe/MgCdTe DHs are grown on InSb(001) substrates. The vertical transport mechanisms across the CdTe and InSb heterovalent interface are investigated with N-CdTe/n-InSb and N-CdTe/p-InSb heterostructures. A transport model including tunneling through CdTe barrier and InSb interband transition is developed to explain the different temperature dependent current-voltage characteristics of these two heterostructures.
Different p-type layers are integrated with the CdTe/MgCdTe DHs to form solar cells with different VOC values and efficiencies. The low VOC of devices with ZnTe:Cu and ZnTe:As hole contacts is attributed to the low built-in voltage and reduced minority carrier lifetime in the CdTe absorber, respectively. The critical requirements for reaching high VOC values are analyzed.
A novel epitaxial lift-off technology for monocrystalline CdTe is developed using a water-soluble and nearly lattice-matched MgTe sacrificial layer grown on InSb substrate. The freestanding CdTe/MgCdTe DH thin films obtained from the lift-off process show improved optical performance due to enhanced light extraction efficiency and photo-recycling effect. This technology enables the possible development of monocrystalline CdTe thin-film solar cells and 1.7/1.1-eV MgCdTe/Si or MgCdTe/Cu(InGa)Se2 tandem solar cells. The monocrystalline CdTe thin-film solar cells and 1.7-eV MgCdTe DH solar cells have been demonstrated with a power conversion efficiency of 9.8% and an active-area efficiency as high as 15.2%, respectively. Additionally, a study of the radiation effects on CdTe DHs under 68-MeV proton irradiation is performed and showed their superior radiation tolerance. All these findings indicate that the monocrystalline CdTe thin-film solar cells are reasonably expected to have low weight, high-efficiency and high power density, ideal for space applications.
ContributorsDing, Jia (Author) / Zhang, Yong-Hang (Thesis advisor) / Vasileska, Dragica (Committee member) / Johnson, Shane (Committee member) / Holman, Zachary (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
Nanophotonics studies the interaction of light with nanoscale devices and nanostructures. This thesis focuses on developing nanoscale devices for optical modulation (saturable absorber and all-optical modulator) and investigating light scattering from nanoparticles for underwater navigation and energy sector application. Saturable absorbers and all-optical modulators are essential to generate ultrashort high-power laser pulses and high-speed communications. Graphene-based devices are broadband, ultrafast, and compatible with different substrates and fibers. Nevertheless, the required fluence to saturate or modulate the optical signal with graphene is still high to realize low-threshold, compact broadband devices, which are essential for many applications. This dissertation emphasizes that the strong light-matter interaction in graphene-plasmonic hybrid metasurface greatly enhances monolayer graphene’s saturable absorption and optical signal modulation effect while maintaining graphene’s ultrafast carrier dynamics. Furthermore, based on this concept, simulation models and experimental demonstrations are presented in this dissertation to demonstrate both subwavelength (~λ/5 in near-infrared and ~λ/10 in mid-infrared) thick graphene-based saturable absorber (with record-low saturation fluence (~0.1μJ/cm2), and ultrashort recovery time (~60fs) at near-infrared wavelengths) and all-optical modulators ( with 40% reflection modulation at 6.5μm with ~55μJ/cm2 pump fluence and ultrafast relaxation time of ~1ps at 1.56μm with less than 8μJ/cm2 pump fluence).
Underwater navigation is essential for various underwater vehicles. However, there is no reliable method for underwater navigation. This dissertation presents a numerical simulation model and algorithm for navigation based on underwater polarization mapping data. With the methods developed, for clear water in the swimming pool, it is possible to achieve a sun position error of 0.35˚ azimuth and 0.03˚ zenith angle, and the corresponding location prediction error is ~23Km. For turbid lake water, a location determination error of ~100Km is achieved. Furthermore, maintenance of heliostat mirrors and receiver tubes is essential for properly operating concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. This dissertation demonstrates a fast and field deployable inspection method to measure the heliostat mirror soiling levels and receiver tube defect detection based on polarization images. Under sunny and clear sky conditions, accurate reflection efficiency (error ~1%) measurement for mirrors with different soiling levels is achieved, and detection of receiver tube defects is demonstrated.
ContributorsRafique, Md Zubair Ebne (Author) / Yao, Yu (Thesis advisor) / Palais, Joseph (Committee member) / Zhang, Yong-Hang (Committee member) / Sukharev, Maxim (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Improving solar cell efficiency is an enormously powerful driver of the cost reduction of solar power. While the silicon solar cell efficiency approaches theoretical limits, many thin-film solar cell technologies fall behind. In particular, cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells have only reached a maximum efficiency of 22.1%. One of the challenges associated with the development of CdTe solar cells is due its high electron affinity and the difficulty of achieving heavy p-type doping. This challenge results in the formation of a Schottky barrier at the hole contact, which reduces solar cell efficiency, primarily through the reduction of open circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor (FF). The Schottky barrier makes the characterization of the actual solar cell p-n junction through current voltage (I-V), capacitance voltage (C-V), and thermal admittance spectroscopy (TAS) more difficult and not straightforward. However, interpreted through accurate physical models and under the correct experimental conditions, these techniques can then also be used to extract the impact of the contact on device performance, chiefly through analysis of the barrier height. Additionally, characterization of the open circuit voltage as a function of the illumination intensity (Suns-Voc) and the open circuit voltage as a function of temperature [Voc(T)] offer insight into the potential impact of the contact barrier. A comprehensive review of characterization of the barrier through the above techniques is given, primarily through a two-diode model. Further, a discussion of the utility of electrochemical capacitance-voltage (ECV) profiling to recover carrier concentrations in device regions otherwise difficult to access through traditional C-V measurements is provided along with modeling to support this conclusion. A discussion of and justification for the experimental extraction of barrier height from TAS measurements are also provided. Experimentally measured Voc(T), C-V, and Suns-Voc characteristics are presented and compared for a CdTe and a gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cell. Experimental results indicate that the contact barriers and other possible non-idealities strongly affect the performance of the CdTe solar cell. Modeling results demonstrate the use of ECV to characterize solar cell absorbers can offer information unavailable via conventional C-V measurements.
ContributorsRosenblatt, Nathan (Author) / Zhang, Yong-Hang (Thesis advisor) / King, Richard R (Committee member) / Vasileska, Dragica (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
Polarization detection and control techniques play essential roles in various applications, including optical communication, polarization imaging, chemical analysis, target detection, and biomedical diagnosis. Conventional methods for polarization detection and polarization control require bulky optical systems. Flat optics opens a new way for ultra-compact, lower-cost devices and systems for polarization detection and control. However, polarization measurement and manipulating devices with high efficiency and accuracy in the mid-infrared (MIR) range remain elusive. This dissertation presented design concepts and experimental demonstrations of full-Stokes parameters detection and polarization generation devices based on chip-integrated plasmonic metasurfaces with high performance and record efficiency. One of the significant challenges for full-Stokes polarization detection is to achieve high-performance circular polarization (CP) filters. The first design presented in this dissertation is based on the direct integration of plasmonic quarter-wave plate (QWP) onto gold nanowire gratings. It is featured with the subwavelength thickness (~500nm) and extinction ratio around 16. The second design is based on the anisotropic thin-film interference between two vertically integrated anisotropic plasmonic metasurfaces. It provides record high efficiency (around 90%) and extinction ratio (>180). These plasmonic CP filters can be used for circular, elliptical, and linear polarization generation at different wavelengths. The maximum degree of circular polarization (DOCP) measured from the sample achieves 0.99998.
The proposed CP filters were integrated with nanograting-based linear polarization (LP) filters on the same chip for single-shot polarization detection. Full-Stokes measurements were experimentally demonstrated with high accuracy at the single wavelength using the direct subtraction method and over a broad wavelength range from 3.5 to 4.5mm using the Mueller matrix method. This design concept was later expanded to a pixelized array of polarization filters. A full-Stokes imaging system was experimentally demonstrated based on integrating a metasurface with pixelized polarization filters arrays and an MIR camera.
ContributorsBai, Jing (Author) / Yao, Yu (Thesis advisor) / Balanis, Constantine A. (Committee member) / Wang, Liping (Committee member) / Zhang, Yong-Hang (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
Ge1-xSnx and SiyGe1-x-ySnx materials are being researched intensively for applications in infra-red optoelectronic devices. Due to their direct band gap these materials may in-fact be the enabling factor in the commercial realization of silicon photonics/group IV photonics and the integration of nanophotonics with nanoelectronics. However the synthesis of these meta-stable semiconductor alloys, with a range of Sn-compositions, remains the primary technical challenge. Highly specialized epitaxial growth methods must be employed to produce single crystal layers which have sufficient quality for optoelectronic device applications. Up to this point these methods have been unfavorable from a semiconductor manufacturing perspective. In this work the growth of high-quality Si-Ge-Sn epitaxial alloys on Ge-buffered Si (100) using an industry-standard reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition reactor and a cost-effective chemistry is demonstrated. The growth kinetics are studied in detail in-order to understand the factors influencing layer composition, morphology, and defectivity. In doing so breakthrough GeSn materials and device results are achieved including methods to overcome the limits of Sn-incorporation and the realization of low-defect and strain-relaxed epitaxial layers with up to 20% Sn.
P and n-type doping methods are presented in addition to the production of SiGeSn ternary alloys. Finally optically stimulated lasing in thick GeSn layers and SiGeSn/GeSn multiple quantum wells is demonstrated. Lasing wavelengths ranging from 2-3 µm at temperatures up to 180K are realized in thick layers. Whereas SiGeSn/GeSn multiple quantum wells on a strain-relaxed GeSn buffers have enabled the first reported SiGeSn/GeSn multiple quantum well laser operating up to 80K with threshold power densities as low as 33 kW/cm2.
P and n-type doping methods are presented in addition to the production of SiGeSn ternary alloys. Finally optically stimulated lasing in thick GeSn layers and SiGeSn/GeSn multiple quantum wells is demonstrated. Lasing wavelengths ranging from 2-3 µm at temperatures up to 180K are realized in thick layers. Whereas SiGeSn/GeSn multiple quantum wells on a strain-relaxed GeSn buffers have enabled the first reported SiGeSn/GeSn multiple quantum well laser operating up to 80K with threshold power densities as low as 33 kW/cm2.
ContributorsMargetis, Joseph (Author) / Zhang, Yong-Hang (Thesis advisor) / Chizmeshya, Andrew (Committee member) / Johnson, Shane (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
Compound semiconductors tend to be more ionic if the cations and anions are further apart in atomic columns, such as II-VI compared to III-V compounds, due in part to the greater electronegativity difference between group-II and group-VI atoms. As the electronegativity between the atoms increases, the materials tend to have more insulator-like properties, including higher energy band gaps and lower indices of refraction. This enables significant differences in the optical and electronic properties between III-V, II-VI, and IV-VI semiconductors. Many of these binary compounds have similar lattice constants and therefore can be grown epitaxially on top of each other to create monolithic heterovalent and heterocrystalline heterostructures with optical and electronic properties unachievable in conventional isovalent heterostructures.
Due to the difference in vapor pressures and ideal growth temperatures between the different materials, precise growth methods are required to optimize the structural and optical properties of the heterovalent heterostructures. The high growth temperatures of the III-V materials can damage the II-VI barrier layers, and therefore a compromise must be found for the growth of high-quality III-V and II-VI layers in the same heterostructure. In addition, precise control of the interface termination has been shown to play a significant role in the crystal quality of the different layers in the structure. For non-polar orientations, elemental fluxes of group-II and group-V atoms consistently help to lower the stacking fault and dislocation density in the II-VI/III-V heterovalent heterostructures.
This dissertation examines the epitaxial growth of heterovalent and heterocrystalline heterostructures lattice-matched to GaAs, GaSb, and InSb substrates in a single-chamber growth system. The optimal growth conditions to achieve alternating layers of III-V, II-VI, and IV-VI semiconductors have been investigated using temperature ramps, migration-enhanced epitaxy, and elemental fluxes at the interface. GaSb/ZnTe distributed Bragg reflectors grown in this study significantly outperform similar isovalent GaSb-based reflectors and show great promise for mid-infrared applications. Also, carrier confinement in GaAs/ZnSe quantum wells was achieved with a low-temperature growth technique for GaAs on ZnSe. Additionally, nearly lattice-matched heterocrystalline PbTe/CdTe/InSb heterostructures with strong infrared photoluminescence were demonstrated, along with virtual (211) CdZnTe/InSb substrates with extremely low defect densities for long-wavelength optoelectronic applications.
Due to the difference in vapor pressures and ideal growth temperatures between the different materials, precise growth methods are required to optimize the structural and optical properties of the heterovalent heterostructures. The high growth temperatures of the III-V materials can damage the II-VI barrier layers, and therefore a compromise must be found for the growth of high-quality III-V and II-VI layers in the same heterostructure. In addition, precise control of the interface termination has been shown to play a significant role in the crystal quality of the different layers in the structure. For non-polar orientations, elemental fluxes of group-II and group-V atoms consistently help to lower the stacking fault and dislocation density in the II-VI/III-V heterovalent heterostructures.
This dissertation examines the epitaxial growth of heterovalent and heterocrystalline heterostructures lattice-matched to GaAs, GaSb, and InSb substrates in a single-chamber growth system. The optimal growth conditions to achieve alternating layers of III-V, II-VI, and IV-VI semiconductors have been investigated using temperature ramps, migration-enhanced epitaxy, and elemental fluxes at the interface. GaSb/ZnTe distributed Bragg reflectors grown in this study significantly outperform similar isovalent GaSb-based reflectors and show great promise for mid-infrared applications. Also, carrier confinement in GaAs/ZnSe quantum wells was achieved with a low-temperature growth technique for GaAs on ZnSe. Additionally, nearly lattice-matched heterocrystalline PbTe/CdTe/InSb heterostructures with strong infrared photoluminescence were demonstrated, along with virtual (211) CdZnTe/InSb substrates with extremely low defect densities for long-wavelength optoelectronic applications.
ContributorsLassise, Maxwell Brock (Author) / Zhang, Yong-Hang (Thesis advisor) / Smith, David J. (Committee member) / Johnson, Shane R (Committee member) / Mccartney, Martha R (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Towards high-efficiency thin-film solar cells: from theoretical analysis to experimental exploration
Description
GaAs single-junction solar cells have been studied extensively in recent years, and have reached over 28 % efficiency. Further improvement requires an optically thick but physically thin absorber to provide both large short-circuit current and high open-circuit voltage. By detailed simulation, it is concluded that ultra-thin GaAs cells with hundreds of nanometers thickness and reflective back scattering can potentially offer efficiencies greater than 30 %. The 300 nm GaAs solar cell with AlInP/Au reflective back scattering is carefully designed and demonstrates an efficiency of 19.1 %. The device performance is analyzed using the semi-analytical model with Phong distribution implemented to account for non-Lambertian scattering. A Phong exponent m of ~12, a non-radiative lifetime of 130 ns, and a specific series resistivity of 1.2 Ω·cm2 are determined.
Thin-film CdTe solar cells have also attracted lots of attention due to the continuous improvements in their device performance. To address the issue of the lower efficiency record compared to detailed-balance limit, the single-crystalline Cd(Zn)Te/MgCdTe double heterostructures (DH) grown on InSb (100) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) are carefully studied. The Cd0.9946Zn0.0054Te alloy lattice-matched to InSb has been demonstrated with a carrier lifetime of 0.34 µs observed in a 3 µm thick Cd0.9946Zn0.0054Te/MgCdTe DH sample. The substantial improvement of lifetime is due to the reduction in misfit dislocation density. The recombination lifetime and interface recombination velocity (IRV) of CdTe/MgxCd1-xTe DHs are investigated. The IRV is found to be dependent on both the MgCdTe barrier height and width due to the thermionic emission and tunneling processes. A record-long carrier lifetime of 2.7 µs and a record-low IRV of close to zero have been confirmed experimentally.
The MgCdTe/Si tandem solar cell is proposed to address the issue of high manufacturing costs and poor performance of thin-film solar cells. The MBE grown MgxCd1-xTe/MgyCd1-yTe DHs have demonstrated the required bandgap energy of 1.7 eV, a carrier lifetime of 11 ns, and an effective IRV of (1.869 ± 0.007) × 103 cm/s. The large IRV is attributed to thermionic-emission induced interface recombination. These understandings can be applied to fabricating the high-efficiency low-cost MgCdTe/Si tandem solar cell.
Thin-film CdTe solar cells have also attracted lots of attention due to the continuous improvements in their device performance. To address the issue of the lower efficiency record compared to detailed-balance limit, the single-crystalline Cd(Zn)Te/MgCdTe double heterostructures (DH) grown on InSb (100) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) are carefully studied. The Cd0.9946Zn0.0054Te alloy lattice-matched to InSb has been demonstrated with a carrier lifetime of 0.34 µs observed in a 3 µm thick Cd0.9946Zn0.0054Te/MgCdTe DH sample. The substantial improvement of lifetime is due to the reduction in misfit dislocation density. The recombination lifetime and interface recombination velocity (IRV) of CdTe/MgxCd1-xTe DHs are investigated. The IRV is found to be dependent on both the MgCdTe barrier height and width due to the thermionic emission and tunneling processes. A record-long carrier lifetime of 2.7 µs and a record-low IRV of close to zero have been confirmed experimentally.
The MgCdTe/Si tandem solar cell is proposed to address the issue of high manufacturing costs and poor performance of thin-film solar cells. The MBE grown MgxCd1-xTe/MgyCd1-yTe DHs have demonstrated the required bandgap energy of 1.7 eV, a carrier lifetime of 11 ns, and an effective IRV of (1.869 ± 0.007) × 103 cm/s. The large IRV is attributed to thermionic-emission induced interface recombination. These understandings can be applied to fabricating the high-efficiency low-cost MgCdTe/Si tandem solar cell.
ContributorsLiu, Shi (Author) / Zhang, Yong-Hang (Thesis advisor) / Johnson, Shane R (Committee member) / Vasileska, Dragica (Committee member) / Yu, Hongbin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
CdTe/MgxCd1-xTe double heterostructures (DHs) have been grown on lattice matched InSb (001) substrates using Molecular Beam Epitaxy. The MgxCd1-xTe layers, which have a wider bandgap and type-I band edge alignment with CdTe, provide sufficient carrier confinement to CdTe, so that the optical properties of CdTe can be studied. The DH samples show very strong Photoluminescence (PL) intensity, long carrier lifetimes (up to 3.6 μs) and low effective interface recombination velocity at the CdTe/MgxCd1 xTe heterointerface (~1 cm/s), indicating the high material quality. Indium has been attempted as an n-type dopant in CdTe and it is found that the carriers are 100% ionized in the doping range of 1×1016 cm-3 to 1×1018 cm-3. With decent doping levels, long minority carrier lifetime, and almost perfect surface passivation by the MgxCd1-xTe layer, the CdTe/MgxCd1-xTe DHs are applied to high efficiency CdTe solar cells. Monocrystalline CdTe solar cells with efficiency of 17.0% and a record breaking open circuit voltage of 1.096 V have been demonstrated in our group.
Mg0.13Cd0.87Te (1.7 eV), also with high material quality, has been proposed as a current matching cell to Si (1.1 eV) solar cells, which could potentially enable a tandem solar cell with high efficiency and thus lower the electricity cost. The properties of Mg0.13Cd0.87Te/Mg0.5Cd0.5Te DHs and solar cells have been investigated. Carrier lifetime as long as 0.56 μs is observed and a solar cell with 11.2% efficiency and open circuit voltage of 1.176 V is demonstrated.
The CdTe/MgxCd1-xTe DHs could also be potentially applied to luminescence refrigeration, which could be used in vibration-free space applications. Both external luminescence quantum efficiency and excitation-dependent PL measurement show that the best quality samples are almost 100% dominated by radiative recombination, and calculation shows that the internal quantum efficiency can be as high as 99.7% at the optimal injection level (1017 cm-3). External luminescence quantum efficiency of over 98% can be realized for luminescence refrigeration with the proper design of optical structures.
Mg0.13Cd0.87Te (1.7 eV), also with high material quality, has been proposed as a current matching cell to Si (1.1 eV) solar cells, which could potentially enable a tandem solar cell with high efficiency and thus lower the electricity cost. The properties of Mg0.13Cd0.87Te/Mg0.5Cd0.5Te DHs and solar cells have been investigated. Carrier lifetime as long as 0.56 μs is observed and a solar cell with 11.2% efficiency and open circuit voltage of 1.176 V is demonstrated.
The CdTe/MgxCd1-xTe DHs could also be potentially applied to luminescence refrigeration, which could be used in vibration-free space applications. Both external luminescence quantum efficiency and excitation-dependent PL measurement show that the best quality samples are almost 100% dominated by radiative recombination, and calculation shows that the internal quantum efficiency can be as high as 99.7% at the optimal injection level (1017 cm-3). External luminescence quantum efficiency of over 98% can be realized for luminescence refrigeration with the proper design of optical structures.
ContributorsZhao, Xinhao (Author) / Zhang, Yong-Hang (Thesis advisor) / Johnson, Shane (Committee member) / Holman, Zachary (Committee member) / Chowdhury, Srabanti (Committee member) / He, Ximin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
Sb-based type-II superlattices (T2SLs) are potential alternative to HgCdTe for infrared detection due to their low manufacturing cost, good uniformity, high structural stability, and suppressed Auger recombination. The emerging InAs/InAsSb T2SLs have minority carrier lifetimes 1-2 orders of magnitude longer than those of the well-studied InAs/InGaSb T2SLs, and therefore have the potential to achieve photodetectors with higher performance. This work develops a novel method to measure the minority carrier lifetimes in infrared materials, and reports a comprehensive characterization of minority carrier lifetime and transport in InAs/InAsSb T2SLs at temperatures below 77 K.
A real-time baseline correction (RBC) method for minority carrier lifetime measurement is developed by upgrading a conventional boxcar-based time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) experimental system that suffers from low signal-to-noise ratio due to strong low frequency noise. The key is to modify the impulse response of the conventional TRPL system, and therefore the system becomes less sensitive to the dominant noise. Using this RBC method, the signal-to-noise ratio is improved by 2 orders of magnitude.
A record long minority carrier lifetime of 12.8 μs is observed in a high-quality mid-wavelength infrared InAs/InAsSb T2SLs at 15 K. It is further discovered that this long lifetime is partially due to strong carrier localization, which is revealed by temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) and TRPL measurements for InAs/InAsSb T2SLs with different period thicknesses. Moreover, the PL and TRPL results suggest that the atomic layer thickness variation is the main origin of carrier localization, which is further confirmed by a calculation using transfer matrix method.
To study the impact of the carrier localization on the device performance of InAs/InAsSb photodetectors, minority hole diffusion lengths are determined by the simulation of external quantum efficiency (EQE). A comparative study shows that carrier localization has negligible effect on the minority hole diffusion length in InAs/InAsSb T2SLs, and the long minority carrier lifetimes enhanced by carrier localization is not beneficial for photodetector operation.
A real-time baseline correction (RBC) method for minority carrier lifetime measurement is developed by upgrading a conventional boxcar-based time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) experimental system that suffers from low signal-to-noise ratio due to strong low frequency noise. The key is to modify the impulse response of the conventional TRPL system, and therefore the system becomes less sensitive to the dominant noise. Using this RBC method, the signal-to-noise ratio is improved by 2 orders of magnitude.
A record long minority carrier lifetime of 12.8 μs is observed in a high-quality mid-wavelength infrared InAs/InAsSb T2SLs at 15 K. It is further discovered that this long lifetime is partially due to strong carrier localization, which is revealed by temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) and TRPL measurements for InAs/InAsSb T2SLs with different period thicknesses. Moreover, the PL and TRPL results suggest that the atomic layer thickness variation is the main origin of carrier localization, which is further confirmed by a calculation using transfer matrix method.
To study the impact of the carrier localization on the device performance of InAs/InAsSb photodetectors, minority hole diffusion lengths are determined by the simulation of external quantum efficiency (EQE). A comparative study shows that carrier localization has negligible effect on the minority hole diffusion length in InAs/InAsSb T2SLs, and the long minority carrier lifetimes enhanced by carrier localization is not beneficial for photodetector operation.
ContributorsLin, Zhiyuan (Author) / Zhang, Yong-Hang (Thesis advisor) / Vasileska, Dragica (Committee member) / Johnson, Shane (Committee member) / Goryll, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016