Functional materials
INL develops standard semiconductor materials (III-V, silicon) and original (nano)materials (functional oxides, III-V nanowires, hybrid III-V/oxide nanowires, porous silicon), for applications in the domains of electronics, photonics and energy harvesting.
The research area relies on research group : Functionnal Materials and Nanostructures
Objectifs
In the field of (opto)electronic and photonic devices and microsystems, new breakthroughs often rely on the development of new materials and/or micro-nano technological processes. INL’s strategy is fully aligned with this context. On one hand, we seek the control (either partial or complete) of standard semiconductor materials (III-V, silicon) and on the other hand we aim to develop original (nano)materials (functional oxides, III-V nanowires, hybrid III-V/oxide nanowires, porous silicon), so as to allow the implementation of technological sectors, thereby ensuring INL’s specificity and independence. In this thematic area, the main objectives of INL deal with the integration and texturing of new materials/nanostructures and new functionalities on silicon, and with the development of non-integrated functional nano-objects (independent from the substrate).
INL has a significant number of facilities at its disposal for material deposition and epitaxy (3 MBE, 1 ALD, 1 PECVD, 1 sputtering reactor as well as sol-gel and CSD facilities) which allow covering and combination of the technologies based on silicon, III-V and oxide compounds and associated nanostructures; several facilities for surface and volume nanostructurations, in particular by electrochemical anodization; and many competences in (nano)characterization: RHEED, XRD, TEM, AFM, XPS/XPD, RBS, optical, electro-optic and electrical spectroscopies.
Key figures
Scientific Activities
Functional oxides/semiconductors technology
- Integration of functional oxides (ferroelectric, piezoelectric, thermo and pyroelectric) on Si for nanoelectronics, M(N)EMS and energy harvesting
- Heterostructures combining functional oxides and III-V semiconductors integrated on Si for photonics
- Functional integration
Epitaxial nanostructures
- Heterostructured III-V nanowires on Si for photonics and photovoltaics
- Hybrid III-V/oxide nanowires for energy harvesting
- Surface patterning for positioning
Nanostructuration of materials
- Nanostructuration by anodization of Si (porous) and SiC, for biolabeling, sensing and solotronics
- Physical synthesis of metallic oxide nanoparticles (ZnO) for energy systems (PV and lighting)
III-V heterostructures and quantum dots for photonics
- GaAlInAsP compounds on InP and GaAs substrates
- InAs/InP quantum dots
Optical studies
- Optical spectroscopy of individual objects: III-V quantum dots, nanowires, nanocrystals
- Optical spectroscopy of ultra-thin layers – localized spectroscopy –
- Optical spectroscopy of colloidal solutions
- Time-resolved optical spectroscopy
Structural studies of nanostructures and heterogeneous interfaces
- Fine structural characterization (synchrotron, GIXRD, GISAXS, XPS/XPD)
- Characterization by RHEED, XRD, TEM and RBS
- Modelling and calculations (Valence Force Field, Keating model, molecular dynamics …)
Keywords
Heteroepitaxy, Monolithic integration, Nanostructuration, Electrochemical anodization, Functional integration, Epitaxial functional oxides on silicon, Texturing of functional oxides, Nanostructures, III-V and Ge nanowires, Hybrid III-V/oxide nanowires, III-V quantum dots, (Nano)Characterization, Photoluminescence, Cathodoluminescence, Electroluminescence, Photoreflectivity, SIMS, AFM, XPS/XPD, RHEED, XRD, TEM, RBS, c-RBS, Synchrotron, Structural and mechanical modelling
