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Title: Development of epitaxial AlxSc1-xN for artificially structured metal/semiconductor superlattice metamaterials

Abstract

Epitaxial nitride rocksalt metal/semiconductor superlattices are emerging as a novel class of artificially structured materials that have generated significant interest in recent years for their potential application in plasmonic and thermoelectric devices. Though most nitride metals are rocksalt, nitride semiconductors in general have hexagonal crystal structure. We report rocksalt aluminum scandium nitride (Al,Sc)N alloys as the semiconducting component in epitaxial rocksalt metal/semiconductor superlattices. The AlxSc1-xN alloys when deposited directly on MgO substrates are stabilized in a homogeneous rocksalt (single) phase when x < 0.51. Employing 20 nm TiN as a seed layer on MgO substrates, the homogeneity range for stabilizing the rocksalt phase has been extended to x < 0.82 for a 120 nm film. The rocksalt AlxSc1-xN alloys show moderate direct bandgap bowing with a bowing parameter, B = 1.41 ± 0.19 eV. The direct bandgap of metastable rocksalt AlN is extrapolated to be 4.70 ± 0.20 eV. The tunable lattice parameter, bandgap, dielectric permittivity, and electronic properties of rocksalt AlxSc1-xN alloys enable high quality epitaxial rocksalt metal/AlxSc1-xN superlattices with a wide range of accessible metamaterials properties.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)
  2. Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States); Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1193238
Report Number(s):
BNL-108169-2015-JA
Journal ID: ISSN 0370-1972; KC040302
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC00112704
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physica Status Solidi B. Basic Solid State Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 252; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 0370-1972
Publisher:
Wiley-Blackwell
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats

Sands, Timothy D., Stach, Eric A., Saha, Bivas, Saber, Sammy, Naik, Gururaj V., Boltasseva, Alexandra, and Kvam, Eric P. Development of epitaxial AlxSc1-xN for artificially structured metal/semiconductor superlattice metamaterials. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1002/pssb.201451314.
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Sands, Timothy D., Stach, Eric A., Saha, Bivas, Saber, Sammy, Naik, Gururaj V., Boltasseva, Alexandra, & Kvam, Eric P. Development of epitaxial AlxSc1-xN for artificially structured metal/semiconductor superlattice metamaterials. United States. doi:10.1002/pssb.201451314.
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Sands, Timothy D., Stach, Eric A., Saha, Bivas, Saber, Sammy, Naik, Gururaj V., Boltasseva, Alexandra, and Kvam, Eric P. Sun . "Development of epitaxial AlxSc1-xN for artificially structured metal/semiconductor superlattice metamaterials". United States. doi:10.1002/pssb.201451314. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1193238.
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@article{osti_1193238,
title = {Development of epitaxial AlxSc1-xN for artificially structured metal/semiconductor superlattice metamaterials},
author = {Sands, Timothy D. and Stach, Eric A. and Saha, Bivas and Saber, Sammy and Naik, Gururaj V. and Boltasseva, Alexandra and Kvam, Eric P.},
abstractNote = {Epitaxial nitride rocksalt metal/semiconductor superlattices are emerging as a novel class of artificially structured materials that have generated significant interest in recent years for their potential application in plasmonic and thermoelectric devices. Though most nitride metals are rocksalt, nitride semiconductors in general have hexagonal crystal structure. We report rocksalt aluminum scandium nitride (Al,Sc)N alloys as the semiconducting component in epitaxial rocksalt metal/semiconductor superlattices. The AlxSc1-xN alloys when deposited directly on MgO substrates are stabilized in a homogeneous rocksalt (single) phase when x < 0.51. Employing 20 nm TiN as a seed layer on MgO substrates, the homogeneity range for stabilizing the rocksalt phase has been extended to x < 0.82 for a 120 nm film. The rocksalt AlxSc1-xN alloys show moderate direct bandgap bowing with a bowing parameter, B = 1.41 ± 0.19 eV. The direct bandgap of metastable rocksalt AlN is extrapolated to be 4.70 ± 0.20 eV. The tunable lattice parameter, bandgap, dielectric permittivity, and electronic properties of rocksalt AlxSc1-xN alloys enable high quality epitaxial rocksalt metal/AlxSc1-xN superlattices with a wide range of accessible metamaterials properties.},
doi = {10.1002/pssb.201451314},
journal = {Physica Status Solidi B. Basic Solid State Physics},
number = 2,
volume = 252,
place = {United States},
year = {2015},
month = {2}
}
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DOI:  10.1002/pssb.201451314
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Rigid-band electronic structure of scandium nitride across the n -type to p -type carrier transition regime
    journal, April 2019

    Transition-metal-nitride-based thin films as novel energy harvesting materials
    journal, January 2016

    • Eklund, Per; Kerdsongpanya, Sit; Alling, Björn
    • Journal of Materials Chemistry C, Vol. 4, Issue 18
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    • Garbrecht, Magnus; Schroeder, Jeremy L.; Hultman, Lars
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    Development of semiconducting ScN
    journal, February 2019

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    • Applied Physics Reviews, Vol. 5, Issue 2
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