Thermoelectric materials based on single crystal AlInN—GaN grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy
The invention is a thermoelectric device fabricated by growing a single crystal AlInN semiconductor material on a substrate, and a method of fabricating same. In a preferred embodiment, the semiconductor material is AlInN grown on and lattice-matched to a GaN template on a sapphire substrate, and the growth is performed using metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE).
1. A thermoelectric material, comprising:
a substrate formed of GaN; and
single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material grown directly on said substrate.
2. A thermoelectric material as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material is grown on said substrate using metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy.
3. A thermoelectric material as set forth in claim 2 , wherein said substrate comprises an undoped or n-type or p-type GaN/sapphire substrate.
4. A thermoelectric material as set forth in claim 3 , wherein said GaN/sapphire substrate comprises a GaN template formed on a sapphire substrate.
5. A thermoelectric material as set forth in claim 4 , wherein said GaN template is about 2.8 μm thick.
6. A thermoelectric material as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material is grown on said substrate by lattice-matching said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material to said substrate.
7. A thermoelectric material as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material has an In-content in the range of about 5% to about 50%.
8. A thermoelectric material as set forth in claim 7 , wherein said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material has an In-content in the range of about 10% to about 25%.
9. A thermoelectric material as set forth in claim 8 , wherein said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material has an In-content in the range of about 15% to about 19%.
10. A thermoelectric material as set forth in claim 9 , wherein said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material has an In-content of 17%.
11. A method of fabricating a thermoelectric material comprising:
forming a substrate of GaN; and
forming a single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material directly on said substrate.
12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein said forming of said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material comprises growing said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material directly on said substrate using metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy.
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said substrate comprises an undoped or n-type or p-type GaN/sapphire substrate.
14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said GaN/sapphire substrate comprises a GaN template formed on a sapphire substrate.
15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein said GaN template is about 2.8 μm thick.
16. The method according to claim 11 , wherein said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material is formed on said substrate by lattice-matching said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material to said substrate.
17. The method according to claim 11 , wherein said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material has an In-content in the range of about 5% to about 50%.
18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material has an In-content in the range of about 10% to about 25%.
19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material has an In-content in the range of about 15% to about 19%.
20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material has an In-content of 17%.
21. A thermoelectric material as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material is grown directly on said substrate by lattice-matching said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material to said substrate.
22. A thermoelectric material as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material is grown directly on said substrate by nearly lattice-matching said single crystal C-plane AlInN semiconductor material to said substrate.