vbid/9783540472353

Description

The p�n junction was invented in the ?rst half of the twentieth century and the latter half saw the birth of light emitting diodes: red and yellow/green in the 1960s and yellow in the 1970s. However, theoretical predictions of the improbabilityofsynthesizingp-typewidebandgapsemiconductorscastalong shadow over hopes for devices emitting in the elusive blue part of the elect- magnetic spectrum, which would complete, with red and green, the quest for the primary colors making up white light. At a time when many researchers abandoned their e?orts on nitrides, Professor Isamu Akasaki of Nagoya U- versity at this time remained committed to his belief that �synthesis of high quality GaN crystals would eventually enable p-type doping� and in 1989 he succeeded in fabricating the world�s ?rst GaN p�n junction light emitting diode. Professor Isamu Akasaki kindly accepted our invitation to contribute to this book and describes his journey �from the nitride wilderness� to the ?rst experimental results of blue emission from GaN p�n junctions: Japan�s major contribution to the development of wide bandgap semiconductor devices. The discovery of blue emission from GaN p�n junctions in 1989 was the major technological turning point during the development of wide bandgap emission devices with wide reaching scienti?c, industrial and social impli- tions.Typham this is the title: Wide Bandgap Semiconductors Fundamental Properties and Modern Photonic and Electronic Devices 1st Edition