Chapters authored
Boron Nitride Fabrication Techniques and Physical Properties
The III-nitride semiconductors are known for their excellent extrinsic properties like direct bandgap, low electron affinity, and chemical and thermal stability. Among III-nitride semiconductors, boron nitride has proven to be a favorable candidate for common dimension materials in several crystalline forms due to its sp2- or sp3-hybridized atomic orbitals. Among all crystalline forms, hexagonal (h-BN) and cubic (c-BN) are considered as the most stable crystalline forms. Like carbon allotropes, the BN has been obtained in different nanostructured forms, e.g., BN nanotube, BN fullerene, and BN nanosheets. The BN nanosheets are a few atomic layers of BN in which boron and nitrogen are arranged in-planer in hexagonal form. The nanostructure sheets are used for sensors, microwave optics, dielectric gates, and ultraviolet emitters. The most effective and preferred technique to fabricate BN materials is through CVD. During the growth, BN formation occurs as a bottom-up growth mechanism in which boron and nitrogen atoms form a few layers on the substrate. This technique is suitable for high quality and large-area growth. Although a few monolayers of BN are grown for most applications, these few monolayers are hard to detect by any optical means as BN is transparent to a wide range of wavelengths. This chapter will discuss the physical properties and growth of BN materials in detail.
Part of the book: Characteristics and Applications of Boron
Recent Advancements in GaN LED Technology
Gallium nitride (GaN)-based solid state lighting technology has revolutionized the semiconductor industry. The GaN technology has played a crucial role in reducing world energy demand as well as reducing the carbon footprint. As per the reports, the global demand for lighting has reduced around 13% of total energy consumption in 2018. The Department of Energy (USA) has estimated that bright white LED source could reduce their energy consumption for lighting by 29% by 2025. Most of the GaN LEDs are grown in c-direction, and this direction gives high growth rate and good crystal integrity. On the other hand, the c-plane growth induces piezoelectric polarization, which reduces the overall efficiency of LEDs since the last decade researchers round the globe working on III-N material to improve the existing technology and to push the limit of III-V domain. Now, the non-polar and semi-polar grown LEDs are under investigation for improved efficiency. With the recent development, the GaN is not only limited to lighting, but latest innovations also led the development of micro-LEDs, lasers projection and point source. These developments have pushed GaN into the realm of display technology. The miniaturization of the GaN-based micro-LED and integration of GaN on silicon driving the application into fast response photonic integrated circuits (ICs). Most of the recent advancements in GaN LED field would be discussed in detail.
Part of the book: Light-Emitting Diodes