Dr Fengzai Tang

I worked with Prof. Dr. Rachel Oliver on the MACONS project funded by the EPSRC. The project aimed to establish the direct relationship between defects and nanostructures (e.g. quantum dots) and their corresponding optical and electrical properties in nitride semiconductor materials. This involves a synergy of different microscopy techniques, ranging from CL-SEM, SCM, FIB, and TEM to APT, with the aim that exactly the same individual nanoscale feature will assessed in each technique. The study covered the interaction of defects with quantum wells grown on polar, semi-polar and non-polar planes, the segregation of dopants in p-type nitrides and the nanostructure of quantum dots. The achieved comprehensive understanding of the nanostructure, chemistry and properties of nitrides can be used to optimise fabrication processes, and thus to improve the device performance. The project was challenging but also fascinating.