Inorganic semiconductors: synthesis and properties

Contact: Yoan LEGER

The research theme “III-V/Si Materials and Photonic Devices” contributes to the FOTON Institute’s strategic research area “Microwave, THz Photonics and Optical Communications.”

The development of III-V semiconductor technologies epitaxially grown on silicon substrates is of major interest in several research fields, ranging from integrated photonics (lasers and nonlinear optical components) to photovoltaics. These technologies are particularly attractive because of their potential to significantly reduce production costs and improve manufacturing scalability. For example, the cost of a silicon substrate can be up to 200 times lower than that of a III-V substrate.

Even today, the growth physics of III-V semiconductors on silicon remains insufficiently understood for many III-V compounds. Over the past several years, the OHM department has developed recognized expertise in molecular beam epitaxial growth of binary (GaP, GaAs) and ternary (InGaP, GaPSb) III-V materials on silicon, and a deep understanding of the optical and electronic properties of these materials (mainly related to the local crystalline polarity inversion observed in the III-V/Si layers).

These sectors also offer specific advantages for the development of target applications for the FOTON institute:

The chemical selectivity between III-V materials and silicon is a major asset for the development of so-called photonic-on-insulator platforms.
Crystal polarity inversion within epitaxial III-V/Si layers opens up new opportunities for research in nonlinear photonics.
Selective carrier transport properties observed at the interfaces between domains of opposite crystal polarity could provide significant benefits for solar energy conversion devices.