Research Projects

The world of electronics is increasingly seeking efficient see-through electronic materials for next-generation devices, such as transparent screens, security cameras, and smart windows. These materials must be electrically conducting and visually transparent, with a band gap above 3.0 eV. Transparent electron (n-type) conductors have superior functionalities, while hole (vacant electron site) conductors (p-type) suffer from low conductivity, mobility, and poor stability. Availability of p-type transparent conductors is essential for advances in transparent electronics, such as in organic LEDs and complementary transistor circuitry. Earth abundant Cu-based halides (CuI type) have received renewed interest due to their excellent transparency and hole conductivity. However, the fundamental issues limiting the performance of Cu halides and p-type materials include high effective mass, low transparency, and difficulty creating stable and large hole density. This proposal aims to address these issues by designing and developing Cu-based halide alloys by manipulating the fraction of cation/anion atoms in CuI hosts. The project will involve innovative fabrication of Cu halide alloy thin films and property optimization using sputtering/e-beam evaporation processes. Materials characterizations will be carried out using XRD, UV-VIS, Raman spectroscopy, and SEM. The project will also test P-N junction and thin film transistor devices with Cu halides, leading to advancements in technology involving transparent conductors as components.

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