Title:  Controlling Adatom Kinetics to Overcome Traditional Limitations for III-Nitride Ternary Alloys

Committee:

Dr. Alan Doolittle, ECE, Chair, Advisor

Dr. William Hunt, ECE

Dr. Mark Losego, MSE

Dr. Asif Khan, ECE

Dr. Eric Vogel, MSE

Abstract: III-Nitride ternary alloys are used in a wide range of applications in modern technology. Despite being a relatively mature technology in many aspects, shortcomings still exist and challenges remain to be overcome, particularly owing to the limited alloy range for which existing commercial fabrication methods can produce single phase III-Nitride alloys. The goal of this thesis is to significantly expand the commercially viable alloy ranges and to demonstrate this capability with several device advances. Advancements need to be made in both red-infrared and deep UV emitting devices to improve efficiency for solid state lighting. Despite having a high absorption coefficient and the ability to achieve almost all desirable bandgaps for photovoltaics, thus far all demonstrated photovoltaic devices have been low efficiency. Further advancements in RF switching and power electronics can be made by transitioning to ultra-wide bandgap materials and improving the electrical characteristics of both bulk films and 2D sheet charges at heterointerfaces.In this thesis this advancement is achieved with the optimization and improvement of epitaxy for ternary III-Nitride alloys.