PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 05 T4.02-9903 |
RESEARCH SUBTOPIC TITLE: | Space Science Sensors and Instruments |
PROPOSAL TITLE: | AlN Based Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Detectors |
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (SBC): | RESEARCH INSTITUTION (RI): | ||
NAME: | III-N Technology, Inc | NAME: | Kansas State University |
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ADDRESS: | 2601 Anderson Ave, Suite 102 | ADDRESS: | 2 Fairchild Hall, KSU |
CITY: | Manhattan | CITY: | Manhattan |
STATE/ZIP: | KS 66502-2809 | STATE/ZIP: | KS 66506-1103 |
PHONE: | (785) 341-4484 | PHONE: | (785) 532-6804 |
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER
(Name,Email)
Jing Li
3n@3n-tech.com
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This Phase I project is to investigate the feasibility for achieving EUV detectors for space applications by exploiting the ultrahigh bandgap semiconductor - AlN. We plan to devise methods to improve the AlN epitaxial material quality and device structures for EUV detectors. Specifically, we will study the properties of Si and Mg doped AlN epilayers and investigate n- and p-type doping issues in AlN and hence the feasibility for achieving high performance EUV detectors; improve the AlN material quality by exploiting novel template/substrates and growth schemes to reduce the dislocation and native defect density. Use knowledge gained from these investigations to provide new understanding of the III-nitride system and to improve EUV detector structural design. It is intended that EUV detector wafers will also be delivered to NASA scientists for the fabrication of detector arrays. Improved performances of AlN based EUV detectors over conventional existing technologies are expected.
POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The UV range supplies a richness experimental data which is unmatched by any other domain for the study of hotter objects in the universe because it samples molecular, neutral and atomic gas at temperatures ranging from 10 to 105 K. The performance of UV detectors has steadily improved over the last decades in many respects, and astronomical applications benefit from this evolution. Nevertheless, current detectors designed for UV, especially for extreme UV (EUV) observations (ranging approximately from 5 nm to 200 nm), are based on Si semiconductors and exhibit a few major drawbacks that are difficult to overcome within silicon technology.
For space applications, the ideal EUV detector is the one that is visible blind, reliable, high resistant to radiation damage, high efficiency, lightweight, minimal power consumption, and can operate at room temperature. AlN based wide bandgap semiconductor materials hold very strong promise to satisfy these general requirements due to their inherent physical properties.
POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The development of AlN based EUV detectors will have broad applications in military, homeland security, and commercial sectors. For military applications, there is also a need for higher performance sensors that require less power and occupied smaller volume in the military systems; EUV sensors may be used on UAVs, sub-munitions, guided flairs and other guided and precision munitions. In the areas of homeland security, EUV sensors can be used for biothreat detections. For commercial applications, there exists a huge potential for miniaturized EUV sensors. The applications range from spectroscopy, medical applications to environmental monitoring. EUV detectors will have huge applications in the electronics industry because EUV photolithography will be used in the manufacture of next generation of semiconductors, integrated circuit components and printed circuit boards
NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA. |
TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
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Airport Infrastructure and Safety
High-Energy Laser On-Board Computing and Data Management Optical Optical & Photonic Materials Particle and Fields Photonics Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics Semi-Conductors/Solid State Device Materials Ultra-High Density/Low Power |