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Analysis Of Scanning Tunneling Optical Spectroscopy Applied To Narrow Gap Semiconductors, James D. Patterson, James G. Mantovani

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

Homogeneous II-VI narrow gap semiconducting alloys are of interest because of their use in infrared detectors. These compound semiconductor materials are inherently difficult to grow in bulk due to gravity induced convective flows. A microgravity growth environment has therefore been considered. In order to evaluate the quality of crystals grown in space compared to those grown on the ground, it is necessary to characterize both. One important aspect of this characterization is the study of stoichiometry, x. A characterization scheme using scanning tunneling optical spectroscopy (STOS) involves determining the spectral response of the photoexcited tunneling current for a semiconductor. By …