New Method for Growth and Analysis of Next-generation Infrared (IR) Detector Materials

摘要

This report describes the development of a new analysis and crystal growth method for next generation infrared materials, namely, dilute nitride III-V semiconductors, which may be used in future low-cost night vision systems. The key to this method is isotopic enrichment of nitrogen-15 during material growth via molecular beam epitaxy, which allows enhanced detection of nitrogen using resonant nuclear reaction analysis. We synthesized films of gallium arsenide nitride (GaAsN) using nitrogen gas enriched in nitrogen-15 and examined them using x-ray diffraction, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and nuclear reaction analysis. This analysis confirmed that the incorporation of nitrogen-15 into the material corresponds with the expected enrichment of the feed gas. This finding opens up the possibility of examining the material using ion beam channeling methods to ascertain the lattice position of the incorporated nitrogen atoms.