Research activities
Our research covers many III-nitrides topics and leading achievements in areas ranging from novel epitaxial growth to device fabrication.
Our research on III-nitride semiconductor devices includes nanophotonics, electronics, hybrid III-nitride/polymer optoelectronics, integration of photonics and electronics, flexible devices, micro-LEDs and solar energy devices.
You can see these research interests in greater detail below:
- MOVPE Growth Capacities
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Development of advanced overgrowth techniques to allow the growth of high-quality GaN on substrates in non-polar and semi-polar orientations.
- GaN on sapphire: 4 and 2 inch (Polar; non-polar; semi-polar )
- GaN on Silicon: (111), (110), (311), (411)
- GaN on SiC: 6H
- GaN on Diamond: (111) and others
- Advanced Manufacturing Capabilities
- Monolithic integration of LED-HEMT
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- Demonstration of Epitaxial Integration of LEDs-HEMTs on up-scalable substrates
- Epitaxial integration of 碌LED & RF on semi-/non-polar GaN on up-scalable Substrates
- Individually addressable 碌LEDs/RF with multiple colours
- Ultra-fast visible light wireless communication
Controllable Uniform Green Light Emitters Enabled by Circular HEMT-LED Devices
Yuefei Cai, Yipin Gong, Jie Bai, Xiang Yu, Chenqi Zhu, Volkan Esendag, Kean Boon Lee, Tao Wang
IEEE Photonics Journal (2018), - III-nitride Micro-LEDs for micro-display and Li-Fi
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- Epitaxial growth of 碌LEDs/HEMTs on sapphire
- IQE increases with decreasing dimension, which is opposite to all the 碌LEDs reported so far.
- Major advantage: eliminating any etching induced damages
- Three patents on 渭-LEDs have been filed
A Direct Epitaxial Approach To Achieving Ultrasmall and Ultrabright InGaN Micro Light-Emitting Diodes (渭LEDs)
J. Bai, Y. Cai P. Feng, P. Fletcher, X. Zhao, C. Zhu & T.Wang
- Long wavelength semi-polar III-nitride emitters
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- Greatly enhanced crystalline quality of our 5碌m GaN (XRD FWHM <360鈥)
- Latest data: XRD linewidth of ~ 0.07 degree at 90 azimuth angle
Topical Review: Development of overgrown semi-polar GaN for high efficiency green/yellow emission
T Wang
This review presents recent progress on developing semi-polar GaN overgrowth technologies on sapphire or Si substrates, the two kinds of major substrates which are cost-effective and thus industry-compatible, and also demonstrates the latest achievements on electrically injected InGaN emitters with long emission wavelengths up to and including amber on overgrown semi-polar GaN.
Semi-polar LEDs (Green to Amber)
- Semipolar InGaN LEDs bridge the 鈥済reen/yellow鈥 gap for ultrafast visible light communications and Opto-genetic applications
- Highlighted by a number of media, 鈥淪emiconductor Today鈥, 鈥滾ED Inside鈥, 鈥滶ND Asia鈥
J. Bai, B. Xu, F. G. Guzman, K. Xing, Y. Gong, Y. Hou and T. Wang
Appl. Phys. Lett. 107, 261103 (2015)
- Semi-polar GaN on silicon
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Our approach to patterning (311) Si
Buffered HF to remove the SiO2 layer
With respect to the surface:
Facets Angle A (111) 29.5掳 B (1-11) & D(-1-11) 58.5掳 C (-111) 80.1掳 - The angle between (11-22) GaN and c-plane GaN is 58.4o
- GaN (c-plane GaN) is grown on B or D facet, leading to the formation of (11-22) GaN along the vertical direction.
- Ideally, GaN is grown only on either B facet or D facet, but not on both
Cross-sectional SEM image
J Bai, X Yu, Y Gong, Y N Hou, Y Zhang and T Wang
Semiconductor Science and Technology, Volume 30, Number 6, 2015 - Electronic devices
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Semi-insulating GaN for electronics
Semi-insulating GaN for power electronics & RF devices for 5G application
- Nano-array blue LEDs
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Publications
J. Bai, Q. Wang and T. Wang
J. Appl. Phys. 111, 113103 (2012);
Q Wang, J Bai, Y P Gong and T Wang
Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, Volume 44, Number 39 (2011)
P. Renwick, H. Tang, J. Bai and T. Wang
Appl. Phys. Lett. 100, 182105 (2012);
Jochen Bruckbauer, Paul R Edwards, Jie Bai, Tao Wang and Robert W Martin
Nanotechnology, Volume 24, Number 36 (2013) - Hybrid III-nitride/organic device for white LED
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The combination of III-nitride based inorganic materials with organic semiconductors allows the development of increased efficiency white light emitting structures. This combines the strengths of both materials classes.
Through the combination with novel nanostructures, it has been possible to utilise high efficiency non-radiative energy transfer coupling between the III-nitride materials and organics.
R. Smith, B. Liu, J. Bai, and T. Wang
Nano Lett., 2013, 13 (7), pp 3042鈥3047
DOI: 10.1021/nl400597d - Hydrogen generation using GaN nanostructures
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Solar-powered hydrogen generation
III-nitride photoelectrodes with Nanostructure: high solar-to-Hydrogen efficiency,
This video shows hydrogen gas formation at the counter electrode with oxygen formation at the InGaN semiconductor device under solar illumination:
The chemical stability of nitride materials and the widely tuneable bandgap allow efficient conversion of solar energy to hydrogen as a fuel source.
J. Benton, J. Bai and T. Wang
Appl. Phys. Lett. 105, 223902 (2014)
J Benton, J Bai and T Wang
Appl. Phys. Lett. 103, 133904 (2013)
J Benton, J Bai and T Wang
Appl. Phys. Lett. 120, 173905 (2013) - UV-LEDs
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- Non-Line-of-sight (NLOS) communications
- water purification
- Environmental Protection
Novel approach for 340 nm UV LEDs
T. Wang, K. B. Lee, J. Bai, P. J. Parbrook, R. J. Airey, Q. Wang, G. Hill, F. Ranalli and A. G. Cullis
Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 081126 (2006);310-340 nm UV LEDs
T Wang, K B Lee, J Bai, P J Parbrook, F Ranalli, Q Wang, R J Airey, A G Cullis, H X Zhang, D Massoubre
Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, Volume 41, Number 9 (2008)Deep UV emission
J. Bai, T. Wang, P. J. Parbrook and A. G. Cullis
Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 131925 (2006); - GaN nanostructures based solar cells
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Incorporation of nanoscale structures into III-nitride based optoelectronic devices by application of novel, cost-effective device fabrication processes. Allows control over light and carrier dynamics in iii-nitride optoelectronic devices, such as microdisk lasers.
III-nitrides solar Cells
J. Bai, C. C. Yang, M. Athanasiou and T. Wang
Appl. Phys. Lett. 104, 051129 (2014) - III-nitride micro-/nano- lasers
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Room temperature CW plasmonic nano laser with ultra-low threshold
Through the combination of nanoscale metals and III-nitride materials, light-matter interaction can be manipulated. This allows optical fields to be concentrated into sub-diffraction limited volumes.
A plasmonic laser has recently been demonstrated using a single InGaN/GaN nanorod coupled to silver films.
Y. Hou, P. Renwick, B. Liu, J. Bai & T. Wang
Scientific Reports 4, Article number: 5014 (2014) doi:10.1038/srep05014Room temperature optically pumped CW green laser on Si with record-low threshold
M. Athanasiou, R. Smith, B. Liu & T. Wang
Scientific Reports 4, Article number: 7250 (2014), doi:10.1038/srep07250 - III-nitrides lasers
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Blue laser diode - among the few earliest university groups to achieve this world-wide
Demonstration of electrically injected InGaN/GaN based violet/blue laser in collaboration with an overseas team for device fabrication in 2004, achieved then among only a few university groups.
Highlighted in
Publications
Q. Wang, T. Wang, J. Bai, A. G. Cullis, P. J. Parbrook and F. Ranalli
J. Appl. Phys. 103, 123522 (2008);
Ultra high density of QDs with high crystal quality: room temperature stimulated emission
Q. Wang, Y. P. Gong, J. F. Zhang, J. Bai, F. Ranalli1 and T. Wang
Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 161904 (2009);
High temperature AlN buffer technique: RT stimulated emission at 340 nm with a low threshold
Highlighted in 鈥淪emiconductor Today鈥 on 28th October 2009Shortest wavelength VCSEL
High quality III-nitride DBR: Shortest wavelength VCSEL at room temperature so far. (Highlighted by 鈥淎pplied Physics Letters鈥 cover image, shown below)
Rui Chen, H. D. Sun, T. Wang, K. N. Hui and H. W. Choi
Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 241101 (2010); - GaN-based ISB Devices
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Unique advantages of GaN-based ISB:
- Large conduction band offset =>1.75eV for GaN/AlN, pushing this family of devices to much shorter wavelengths
- 1.3-1.55渭m wavelength range used for fiber-optics telecommunications requiring a band offset of ~1 eV
- Ultra short ISB relaxation time (140-400 fs at RT) 10 times faster than in InGaAs QWs, offering the prospect of ultrafast ISB devices. Appl. Phys. Lett. 77, 648(2000); Semicond. Sci. Technol. 19, S463(2004)
- Large longitudinal phonon energy (92meV for GaN compared to 36meV for GaAs) => enable sources emitting in the Reststrahlen band of GaAs and InP and high-performance lasers at THz frequencies