Electrical Doping in Sc-III-Nitrides: Toward Multifunctional Devices at the Single Device Level

A homogeneous integration of various types of devices using a single material platform is an ideal route toward multifunctional devices at the single-device level for miniaturized, fast, and energy-efficient systems. However, such a single material platform is still missing. Scandium-containing III-nitrides (Sc-III-nitrides) are promising, but their electrical doping properties remain unknown. In this work, the electrical doping in Sc-III-nitrides is investigated and optoelectronic devices using Sc-III-nitrides on silicon (Si) are further demonstrated. The material format of the nanowire is used, with magnesium (Mg) serving as the impurity dopant to control the electrical doping. It is discovered that, by adjusting the Mg doping concentrations, the Sc-III-nitrides can be tuned from n-type to p-type. Device application in light-emitting is further demonstrated using the p-type Sc-III-nitrides as the hole injection layer. The performance comparison between devices using the regrown Sc-containing p-type contact layers and non-Sc-containing p-type contact layers indicates the advantage of Sc incorporation in improving the quality of the regrown p-type layer in a device structure. The electrical doping in Sc-III-nitrides demonstrated in this study represents an important step toward a homogeneous integration of different types of devices using a single material platform.