Date – May 4-5, 2018 (2 days)
Location - Skoltech
MBE technology of hetero-structures with a high-mobility TwoDimensional Electron Gas (2DEG)” is to review current status of the MBE growth technologies in the world, the market of heterostructures with high mobility 2DEG, and to develop strategy of this technology at Skoltech. The format of the meeting will include plenary lectures, and informal discussions on the feasibility, benefits and resources needed of the MBE technology at Nanofab of Skoltech.
MBE growth technologies of III-V and II-VI materials in Russian Federation have already significant presence due to combining efforts of the leading laboratories and companies (Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics RAS, Connector-Optics Ltd, Istok, ISVCH RAS, MEPHI, Svetlana-Rost LLC). Several laboratories of RAS are world leaders in the field of fundamental research associated with the high-mobility two-dimensional electron systems (ISSP RAS, Lebedev Institute RAS, FTI, Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics RAS, Novosibirsk University). In the Russian Federation there are research teams and companies that actively use semiconductor heterostructures for the market products (Planeta, Istok, TeraSense Ltd, Mwave LLC). However a significant progress in MBE technology is mainly related to the heterostructures produced for photonics, like diode lasers, devices for the optical communication. At the same time, there is a lag in the growth of heterostructures with high mobility 2DEG, µ > 106 cm2/Vs in application to microwave devices, and for fundamental research. Even outside of Russia only limited number of centres are capable of producing heterostructures with electron mobility greater than 5×106 cm2/Vs. Very few technological centres (2 or 3 in the world!) produces mobility values above (20-30) x106 cm2 / Vs (for example, Weizmann Institute, Israel). The price of such epitaxial structures exceeds € 10,000.
The needs for heterostructures in the future will only increase because of the accelerating speed and density of the information transfer, the development of more sensitive optical and mechanical sensors, and demand for fundamental research. In response to these the technological organizations in different countries invest financial and human resources to expensive MBE technology, support a research in new materials (for example, the two-dimensional analogues of graphene, ZnO).
Skoltech may become a player in this filed. Skoltech is planning to invest to Nanofab with the world class equipment. There are active research teams at Skoltech, which use high quality semiconductor heterostructures. Also cluster of laboratories and companies is forming around Skoltech interesting in MBE technology and offering expertise and complementary technologies. How effective can be financial and intellectual investments in the MBE technology at Skoltekh from the market point of view (applied R&D)? What impact will the MBE initiative have on the development of world-class fundamental research in the Russian Federation? The workshop should answer these questions and help to identify Skoltech niche in this field and develop a pragmatic strategy.