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Wostatek T, Chirala VYMR, Stoddard N, Civas EN, Pimputkar S, Schimmel S. Ammonothermal Crystal Growth of Functional Nitrides for Semiconductor Devices: Status and Potential. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 17:3104. [PMID: 38998188 PMCID: PMC11242142 DOI: 10.3390/ma17133104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
The state-of-the-art ammonothermal method for the growth of nitrides is reviewed here, with an emphasis on binary and ternary nitrides beyond GaN. A wide range of relevant aspects are covered, from fundamental autoclave technology, to reactivity and solubility of elements, to synthesized crystalline nitride materials and their properties. Initially, the potential of emerging and novel nitrides is discussed, motivating their synthesis in single crystal form. This is followed by a summary of our current understanding of the reactivity/solubility of species and the state-of-the-art single crystal synthesis for GaN, AlN, AlGaN, BN, InN, and, more generally, ternary and higher order nitrides. Investigation of the synthesized materials is presented, with a focus on point defects (impurities, native defects including hydrogenated vacancies) based on GaN and potential pathways for their mitigation or circumvention for achieving a wide range of controllable functional and structural material properties. Lastly, recent developments in autoclave technology are reviewed, based on GaN, with a focus on advances in development of in situ technologies, including in situ temperature measurements, optical absorption via UV/Vis spectroscopy, imaging of the solution and crystals via optical (visible, X-ray), along with use of X-ray computed tomography and diffraction. While time intensive to develop, these technologies are now capable of offering unprecedented insight into the autoclave and, hence, facilitating the rapid exploration of novel nitride synthesis using the ammonothermal method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Wostatek
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Chair of Electron Devices (LEB), Cauerstraße 6, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - V. Y. M. Rajesh Chirala
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Chair of Electron Devices (LEB), Cauerstraße 6, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Nathan Stoddard
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Lehigh University, 5 E Packer Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
| | - Ege N. Civas
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Chair of Electron Devices (LEB), Cauerstraße 6, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Siddha Pimputkar
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Lehigh University, 5 E Packer Avenue, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
| | - Saskia Schimmel
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Chair of Electron Devices (LEB), Cauerstraße 6, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
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Parvizian M, Duràn Balsa A, Pokratath R, Kalha C, Lee S, Van den Eynden D, Ibáñez M, Regoutz A, De Roo J. The Chemistry of Cu 3 N and Cu 3 PdN Nanocrystals. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202207013. [PMID: 35612297 PMCID: PMC9400990 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202207013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The precursor conversion chemistry and surface chemistry of Cu3 N and Cu3 PdN nanocrystals are unknown or contested. Here, we first obtain phase-pure, colloidally stable nanocubes. Second, we elucidate the pathway by which copper(II) nitrate and oleylamine form Cu3 N. We find that oleylamine is both a reductant and a nitrogen source. Oleylamine is oxidized by nitrate to a primary aldimine, which reacts further with excess oleylamine to a secondary aldimine, eliminating ammonia. Ammonia reacts with CuI to form Cu3 N. Third, we investigated the surface chemistry and find a mixed ligand shell of aliphatic amines and carboxylates (formed in situ). While the carboxylates appear tightly bound, the amines are easily desorbed from the surface. Finally, we show that doping with palladium decreases the band gap and the material becomes semi-metallic. These results bring insight into the chemistry of metal nitrides and might help the development of other metal nitride nanocrystals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Parvizian
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Rohan Pokratath
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Curran Kalha
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Seungho Lee
- IST Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | | | - Maria Ibáñez
- IST Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Anna Regoutz
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Jonathan De Roo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
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Parvizian M, De Roo J. Precursor chemistry of metal nitride nanocrystals. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:18865-18882. [PMID: 34779811 PMCID: PMC8615547 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr05092c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Metal nitride nanocrystals are a versatile class of nanomaterials. Depending on their chemical composition, the optical properties vary from those of traditional semiconductor nanocrystals (called quantum dots) to more metallic character (featuring a plasmon resonance). However, the synthesis of colloidal metal nitride nanocrystals is challenging since the underlying precursor chemistry is much less developed compared to the chemistry of metal, metal chalcogenide or metal phosphide nanocrystals. Here, we review chemical approaches that lead (or could lead) to the formation of colloidally stable metal nitride nanocrystals. By systematically comparing different synthetic approaches, we uncover trends and gain insight into the chemistry of these challenging materials. We also discuss and critically evaluate the plausibility of certain suggested mechanisms. This review is meant as a guide for the further development of colloidal nitride nanocrystals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Parvizian
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Jonathan De Roo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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Matsuzaki K, Harada K, Kumagai Y, Koshiya S, Kimoto K, Ueda S, Sasase M, Maeda A, Susaki T, Kitano M, Oba F, Hosono H. High-Mobility p-Type and n-Type Copper Nitride Semiconductors by Direct Nitriding Synthesis and In Silico Doping Design. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2018; 30:e1801968. [PMID: 29920799 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201801968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Thin-film photovoltaics (PV) have emerged as a technology that can meet the growing demands for efficient and low-cost large-scale cells. However, the photoabsorbers currently in use contain expensive or toxic elements, and the difficulty in bipolar doping, particularly in a device structure, requires elaborate optimization of the heterostructures for improving the efficiency. This study shows that bipolar doping with high hole and electron mobilities in copper nitride (Cu3 N), composed solely of earth-abundant and environmentally benign elements, is readily available through a novel gaseous direct nitriding reaction applicable to uniform and large-area deposition. A high-quality undoped Cu3 N film is essentially an n-type semiconductor, while p-type conductivity is realized by interstitial fluorine doping, as predicted using density functional theory calculations and directly proven by atomically resolved imaging. The synthetic methodology for high-quality p-type and n-type films paves the way for the application of Cu3 N as an alternative absorber in thin-film PV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Matsuzaki
- Materials Research Center for Element Strategy, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503, Japan
| | - Kou Harada
- Laboratory for Materials and Structures, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503, Japan
| | - Yu Kumagai
- Materials Research Center for Element Strategy, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503, Japan
| | - Shogo Koshiya
- Electron Microscopy Group, Research Center for Advanced Measurement and Characterization, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0044, Japan
| | - Koji Kimoto
- Electron Microscopy Group, Research Center for Advanced Measurement and Characterization, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0044, Japan
| | - Shigenori Ueda
- Synchrotron X-ray Station at SPring-8, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5148, Japan
- Research Center for Advanced Measurement and Characterization, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0047, Japan
| | - Masato Sasase
- Materials Research Center for Element Strategy, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503, Japan
| | - Akihiro Maeda
- Laboratory for Materials and Structures, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503, Japan
| | - Tomofumi Susaki
- Materials Research Center for Element Strategy, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503, Japan
- Laboratory for Materials and Structures, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503, Japan
| | - Masaaki Kitano
- Materials Research Center for Element Strategy, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503, Japan
| | - Fumiyasu Oba
- Materials Research Center for Element Strategy, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503, Japan
- Laboratory for Materials and Structures, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503, Japan
- Center for Materials Research by Information Integration, Research and Services Division of Materials Data and Integrated System, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0047, Japan
| | - Hideo Hosono
- Materials Research Center for Element Strategy, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503, Japan
- Laboratory for Materials and Structures, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503, Japan
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