GaAs photovoltaics and optoelectronics using releasable multilayer epitaxial assemblies

• Published in: Nature (London) 2010-05, Vol.465 (7296), p.329-333
• Main Authors: Yoon, Jongseung, Jo, Sungjin, Chun, Ik Su, Jung, Inhwa, Kim, Hoon-Sik, Meitl, Matthew, Menard, Etienne, Li, Xiuling, Coleman, James J., Paik, Ungyu, Rogers, John A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 639/301/119/1000; 639/766/25; Applied sciences; Cost estimates; Electronics; Epitaxy; Etching; Exact sciences and technology; Fabrication; Gallium; Gallium arsenide; Glass substrates; Humanities and Social Sciences; Industrial development; Infrared imaging; letter; Light emitting diodes; Mass spectrometry; Materials; multidisciplinary; Optoelectronic devices; Organic chemicals; Photovoltaics; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Semiconductors; Silicon; Solar batteries; Solar cells
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/nature09054

Flexible GaAs semiconductors Although compound semiconductors like gallium arsenide have a substantial performance advantage over silicon in photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications, these do not outweigh the costly process of growing large, high-quality layers of these materials and transferring them to flexible or transparent substrates for use in devices such as solar cells, night vision cameras and wireless communication systems. But now John Rogers and his team demonstrate a new fabrication approach that may remove this disadvantage. They grow films of GaAs and AlGaAs in thick, multilayered assemblies in a single deposition sequence, then release the individual layers and distribute them over foreign substrates by printing. The technological potential of this strategy to large-area applications is illustrated with the fabrication of GaAs devices such as field-effect transistors on glass and photovoltaic modules on sheets of plastic. Although compound semiconductors like gallium arsenide (GaAs) offer advantages over silicon for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications, these do not outweigh the costly process of growing large layers of these materials and transferring them to appropriate substrates. However, a new fabrication approach is now demonstrated: films of GaAs and AlGaAs are grown in thick, multilayered assemblies in a single sequence; the individual layers are then released and distributed over foreign substrates by printing. Compound semiconductors like gallium arsenide (GaAs) provide advantages over silicon for many applications, owing to their direct bandgaps and high electron mobilities. Examples range from efficient photovoltaic devices 1 , 2 to radio-frequency electronics 3 , 4 and most forms of optoelectronics 5 , 6 . However, growing large, high quality wafers of these materials, and intimately integrating them on silicon or amorphous substrates (such as glass or plastic) is expensive, which restricts their use. Here we describe materials and fabrication concepts that address many of these challenges, through the use of films of GaAs or AlGaAs grown in thick, multilayer epitaxial assemblies, then separated from each other and distributed on foreign substrates by printing. This method yields large quantities of high quality semiconductor material capable of device integration in large area formats, in a manner that also allows the wafer to be reused for additional growths. We demonstrate some capabilities of this approach with