The Institute of High Pressure Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, together with a partner from Italy, carried out two major European projects, which also involved partners from other countries. The research concerned elements of technology for manufacturing electronic devices (transistors and laser diodes) based on nitride semiconductors (GaN-AlN-InN). Interestingly, the Polish institute specialises in the manufacture of these materials, while the Institute for microelectronics and microsystems from Catania is the world's leading laboratory for transistor processing (manufacture of electrical contacts, insulating tracks, etc.).

One of the more important results of the collaboration is the book 'Nitride Semiconductor Technology', which provides an overview of nitride semiconductors and their applications in optoelectronic and power electronics devices. It also explains the physical properties of these materials, as well as their growth methods. Their applications in high electron mobility transistors, vertical power devices, LEDs, laser diodes and cavity surface emitting lasers are discussed in detail. The book also examines the reliability issues of these materials and presents prospects for their integration into 2D materials for new high-frequency and high-power devices.

Within the framework of the contacts established with the IMM, IWC PAN supplies the Italian side with AlGaN/GaN epitaxial structures, and the Italian side performs processing to create new generations of transistors and diodes.

As prof. Michał Leszczyński emphasises, "our joint research has not only a cognitive dimension, but also a commercial one, as new transistor technologies are used by the ST Microelectronics concern (also from Catania), and new laser technologies are implemented in the TopGaN company (a spin-off from IWC PAN)".

Details: prof. Michał Leszczyński, Institute of High Pressure Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Cooperation: Dr Fabrizio Roccaforte; Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi CNR (IMM CNR) Katania

Project’s title: Properties of nitride semiconductors for electronic applications