High efficiency visible and ultraviolet nanowire emitters
AssigneeThe Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning/Mcgill University
InventorsZetian MI, Songrui ZHAO, Renjie WANG
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Abstract
Nanowire heterostructures are disclosed for high-efficiency light emitting devices, lasers, and related applications. The nanowires may include inversely tapered geometries, core regions configured for quantum confinement of carriers, and radial profiles that provide radial carrier confinement, thereby suppressing non-radiative recombination and enhancing emission efficiency. In some embodiments, the nanowires are grown on silicon substrates using molecular beam epitaxy and emit light in the ultraviolet or visible spectrum. The structures may also enable coherent emission through Anderson localization of light with simplified fabrication.
Claims27
A device comprising:
- a plurality of nanowires, wherein each nanowire being inversely tapered such that a diameter of the nanowire increases with distance from a substrate, the plurality of nanowires further including:
- a core region configured to provide quantum confinement of carriers;
- and
- a shell structure surrounding the core region establishing a radial carrier confinement;
- wherein the plurality of nanowires emit an ultraviolet (UV) spectrum.
A method of growing a plurality of nanowires comprising:
- growing a first semiconductor segment;
- growing a second semiconductor segment arranged in a core region configured to provide quantum confinement of carriers;
- and
- growing a third semiconductor segment,
- wherein the plurality of nanowires are grown on a silicon (Si) substrate using radio frequency plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) under nitrogen rich conditions.
A method of generating ultraviolet (UV) light comprising:
- coherently emitting optical radiation through Anderson localization of light in response to electrically injecting a plurality of nanowires, wherein each nanowire has a diameter that increases with distance from a substrate to form an inversely tapered geometry, the plurality of nanowires include:
- a core region configured to provide quantum confinement of carriers;
- and
- a shell structure surrounding the core region establishing a radial carrier confinement,
- wherein the plurality of nanowires have a photoluminescence emission wavelength of less than 400 nanometers (nm).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.