Researchers have made progress in producing n-type diamond with high conductivity (Nature Materials, July 2003). Diamond is an attractive material in terms of its electrical, optical thermal and chemical properties. However, creating n-type conduction in the material has been a major challenge. Phosphorus doping has only achieved properties that are unsatisfactory for most device applications.

Researchers have made progress in producing n-type diamond with high conductivity (Nature Materials, July 2003). Diamond is an attractive material in terms of its electrical, optical thermal and chemical properties. However, creating n-type conduction in the material has been a major challenge. Phosphorus doping has only achieved properties that are unsatisfactory for most device applications.

The team used homo-epitaxially grown boron doped diamond layers. Boron is used in silicon to create p-type conductivity. Deuterium diffusion through the entire layer led to passivation of the boron acceptors. The conductivity in the diamond layer is converted from being highly p-type to highly n-type. This is said to be due to the formation of shallow donors with an ionisation energy of 0.23eV. By contrast, phosphorous has an ionisation energy of 0.6eV in diamond.

The n-type conductivity at 300K is measured as high as 2/Ohm/cm. The electron mobilities are a few hundred cm2/V/sec. Electron concentrations are several 1E16/cm3.
The scientists say that the n- to p-type conversion seems to be the result of the break-up of deuterium-related complexes due to some excess deuterium in the deuterated layer.
Thermal treatment can reverse the change. Questions about the long-term stability and its temperature dependence need to be answered.

The work was a collaboration between the Laboratoire de Physique des Solides et de Cristallogenese in France, Haifa's Technion institute, the US Naval Research Laboratory and the Laboratoire d'Etudes des Proprietes Electroniques des Solides.

AngelTech Live III: Join us on 12 April 2021!

AngelTech Live III will be broadcast on 12 April 2021, 10am BST, rebroadcast on 14 April (10am CTT) and 16 April (10am PST) and will feature online versions of the market-leading physical events: CS International and PIC International PLUS a brand new Silicon Semiconductor International Track!

Thanks to the great diversity of the semiconductor industry, we are always chasing new markets and developing a range of exciting technologies.

2021 is no different. Over the last few months interest in deep-UV LEDs has rocketed, due to its capability to disinfect and sanitise areas and combat Covid-19. We shall consider a roadmap for this device, along with technologies for boosting its output.

We shall also look at microLEDs, a display with many wonderful attributes, identifying processes for handling the mass transfer of tiny emitters that hold the key to commercialisation of this technology.

We shall also discuss electrification of transportation, underpinned by wide bandgap power electronics and supported by blue lasers that are ideal for processing copper.

Additional areas we will cover include the development of GaN ICs, to improve the reach of power electronics; the great strides that have been made with gallium oxide; and a look at new materials, such as cubic GaN and AlScN.

Having attracted 1500 delegates over the last 2 online summits, the 3rd event promises to be even bigger and better – with 3 interactive sessions over 1 day and will once again prove to be a key event across the semiconductor and photonic integrated circuits calendar.

So make sure you sign up today and discover the latest cutting edge developments across the compound semiconductor and integrated photonics value chain.

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