SMASH

Smart Nanostructured Semiconductors for Energy-Saving Light Solutions

 Partecipanti

Mappa

 Word cloud

Esplora la "nuvola delle parole (Word Cloud) per avere un'idea di massima del progetto.

 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Solid state light sources based on compound semiconductors are opening a new era in general lighting and will contribute significantly to a sustainable energy saving. For a successful and broad penetration of LEDs into the general lighting market two key factors are required: high efficiency and low cost. Two new disruptive technologies based on nanostructured semiconductors are proposed to address these key factors. A novel epitaxial growth technique based on nanorod coalescence will be explored to realize ultra-low defect density templates which will enable strain-relieved growth of LEDs and thus achieve higher efficiency. The second highly innovative approach is the growth of directly emitting Gallium nitride based nanorod structures. These structures are expected to produce exceptionally high efficiency devices covering the whole visible spectrum and even phosphor-free white LEDs. Significantly, our new nanostructured compound semiconductor based technology will enable LED growth on low-cost and large-area substrates (e.g., Silicon) as wafer bowing will be eliminated and thus lead to a dramatic reduction in production costs. The main objectives over the three years are: •Profound understanding of the growth mechanisms and properties of nanorod systems •New materials and process technologies (wafer-scale nanoimprinting, dry etching, device processing) for LEDs based on nanostructured templates and nanorod-LEDs •Demonstrators: -Phosphor-converted white LEDs based on nanostructured sapphire templates (efficacy ≥ 150 lm/W @ 350 mA) and Silicon templates (efficacy ≥ 100 lm/W @ 350 mA) -Blue, green, yellow and red emitting Nano-LEDs (external quantum efficiency ≥ 10%) -Novel phosphor-free white-emitting Nano-LEDs (external quantum efficiency ≥ 2%) Realising the objectives of SMASH will start a new generation of affordable, energy-efficient solid state light sources for the general lighting market and will push the LED lamp and luminaire business in Europe.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Cutting-edge nanotechnology has enabled the development of new light emitting diodes (LEDs) that will be much more stable and energy efficient than currently available lighting solutions.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

As energy efficiency and a cleaner environment become a requirement of modern life, scientists are researching novel super-efficient ways to illuminate our homes and workplaces. One idea worth investigating is the use of nanorods, or more specifically of nano-structured gallium nitride-based semiconductors to create clean and inexpensive lighting.

The EU-funded project 'Smart nanostructured semiconductors for energy-saving light solutions' (SMASH) aimed to use these nanorods to upgrade existing LED technology. It worked on resolving structural, optical and electro-optical properties in LED structures, based on passive nanorod templates and on nanoemitters, to develop the appropriate chips for this innovative technology.

In more technical terms, the project examined the relationship between the physical structure of the rods and the electronic band structure. It looked at carrier transport through the nanorods and studied their optical properties, investigating as well the device properties of nanorod LEDs. This also involved work on design aspects of the LEDs, particularly the electronic model, electroluminescence spectrum and optical model.

In addition, the project team made progress regarding scalable materials technologies based on nanorod coalescence on sapphire and silicon substrates. A major part of SMASH's work focused on building optimal nanoemitters, i.e. fabricating arrays of nanoLEDs with broad emission. This enabled the team to make significant progress in furthering front-end and back-end processes related to the LED fabrication value chain.

SMASH lastly advanced processes for nanorod template fabrication and for the eventual manufacture of LEDs. These leaps in research have brought stakeholders much closer to being able to produce more cost-effective and efficient LED technology. While more research is still required before commercialisation can begin, the project team has paved the way for a new lighting source that may soon revolutionise illumination in the 21st century.