Metal nitride semiconductors for optical applications

The structural and electronic properties of wide-bandgap semiconductors consisting of aluminum, gallium, and indium nitrides and their alloys make them excellent candidates for use in constructing solidstate optical devices operating from the visible to the ultraviolet. Fabrication of these materials is being approached from two perspectives: reactive magnetron sputtering and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. Successful synthesis of these metal nitrides will ultimately lead to simple (light-emitting diode) and complex (laser) sources, nonlinear optical elements, and semiconductor detectors, all matched to the wavelength of the spectral region of interest.