New process produces ordered semiconductor material at room temperature

Scientists at the University of Twente have developed a method to create highly ordered semiconductor materials at room temperature. The UT study was published today in the journal Nature Synthesis. This breakthrough could improve the efficiency of optoelectronics by controlling the crystal structure and reducing the number of defects at the nanoscale.

The research team focused on materials called metal halide perovskites, which are known for their ability to efficiently absorb sunlight and their use in devices such as LEDs, semiconductors, and solar cells. It has been difficult to fabricate these materials with a single orientation (i.e., with highly ordered grains). To date, it is mainly used in polycrystalline form.

In other words, in a chaotic manner. This can limit its use in applications that require high-order, low-density defects, such as LEDs. These highly ordered semiconductors typically require high processing temperatures. But with this new process, UT researchers omit heat and use pulsed lasers to build the material layer by layer.

Understand the structure correctly

“Halide perovskites are already remarkable semiconductors, used in solar cells, for example,” says Dr. Junior Solomon Sathyaraj. Student in the Inorganic Materials Science Research Group.

“But typically we have little control over how exactly the material grows,” she explains. This means that the molecules in the material have different orientations and structures. “Theoretically, if you improve the quality of your materials, you will also increase efficiency.”

“It’s all about getting the structure right,” says Monica Morales-Masis, who is leading the work on the ERC StG ​​CREATE project. Perfectly ordered structures within materials are essential for creating efficient and reliable devices. The resulting material is stable for more than 300 days, offering great potential for applications such as solar panels and advanced electronics. This innovation will not only help develop greener and more cost-effective technologies, but also pave the way for new scientific discoveries in materials research.