This abstract highlights groundbreaking research on MgZrN2, an emerging nitride semiconductor, with significant contributions from John Perkins, affiliated with the Colorado School of Mines. Inorganic nitrides are pivotal in modern technology, traditionally categorized into hexagonal main-group semiconductors and cubic transition-metal superconductors. This research disrupts this classification by introducing new semiconducting Mg-TM-N (TM=Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta) nitrides exhibiting rocksalt structures.
John Perkins and the team’s ab-initio calculations reveal these mid-gap semiconductors possess exceptionally high dielectric constants, reaching up to 80 ε0, and demonstrate remarkable resilience to structural defects compared to other ternary nitrides. The study focuses on MgxZr2-xN2, demonstrating its formation across a wide range of metal compositions. Stoichiometric MgZrN2 exhibits heavily-doped n-type semiconductor behavior, characterized by a negative temperature coefficient of resistivity and thermally-activated carriers. Crucially, the transport properties are tunable from metallic to non-degenerately-doped by adjusting the Mg:Zr ratio.
X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy confirm the epitaxial growth of MgZrN2 on both GaN and MgO substrates. This structural versatility, combined with elemental abundance and compelling semiconductor properties, underscores the potential of these materials for integration within existing nitride technologies. The work by researchers like John Perkins at institutions such as Colorado School of Mines is crucial for advancing materials science and exploring new semiconductor applications. This research expands the horizon of nitride semiconductors and suggests a promising avenue for future electronic materials.
