High performance compound semiconductor nanowire optoelectronic devices

Semiconductor nanowires (NWs) are one-dimensional structures with unique electrical, mechanical,chemical and optical properties which offer an unprecedented range of applications in the field of electronics,photonics, biomedicine and communications. This project aims at exploring the intriguing physics of the onedimensionalnano structures for design, growth, and demonstration of a wide range of high performance NWbasedoptoelectronic devices, including light emitting diodes, lasers and photodetectors. The project willmake significant impact in NW research and Nanotechnology, as well as facilitate the establishment of highend nanofabrication technology in the country for future nanoscale device based semiconductor industry.

III-V semiconductor nanowires for ultrafast device applications

Semiconductor nanowires possess excellent material and electronic properties, and have been used to demonstrate the emergence of new physics and devices at the nanoscale. In the past, focus has been placed on increasing the carrier lifetime to make the nanowires more like traditional bulk material; in this project, we propose to make fundamentally new devices based on the incredibly short carrier lifetime yet high material quality observed in tailored nanowires. Specifically, ultra-fast switching transistors, gigahertzspeed photodetectors and terahertz-frequency on-chip electronics will be targeted, which when combined with industry-compatible manufacturing techniques provide groundbreaking new applications for nanowire devices.

Towards high performance compound semiconductor nanowire array solar cells

Semiconductor nanowires have great potential for photovoltaic applications due to their unique structural, electrical and optical properties. This project aims to establish a new research program to integrate highly sophisticated theoretical modelling, material growth and nanofabrication capabilities to develop high performance III-V compound semiconductor nanowire array solar cells. New concepts, strategies and technologies developed by this project will not only advance the fundamental understanding of many intriguing physics in nanowire materials and devices, but also pave the way towards high efficiency photovoltaics to address the world’s energy-related issues.