Heterostructures of ZnO/(Al,Ga)N Nanowires for Optoelectronics

Sponsor: Czech Science Foundation

Principal investigator: Jan Grym, Ph.D.

Od: 2023-01-01

Do: 2025-12-31

The goal of the project is to fabricate novel ZnO/(Al,Ga)N nanowire heterostructures for optoelectronics and to investigate their fundamental electrical and optical properties. Two complementary technologies, plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) and chemical bath deposition (CBD), will be used for the growth of (Al,Ga)N and ZnO parts of the structure, respectively. PAMBE offers a large degree of freedom in designing (Al,Ga)N dislocation-free seeds with controlled polarity and density, while CBD in continuous flow reactors with precise control of supersaturation will deliver high-quality ZnO/(Al,Ga)N interfaces, which are critical for the high luminescence efficiency. The project is unique in the combination of electrical characterization of individual nanowire heterostructures using nanoprobes in scanning electron microscope with nanoscale characterization by low-temperature cathodoluminescence spectroscopy, electron beam induced current, and transmission electron microscopy. Particular attention will be paid to the study of charge transport in individual heterostructures.