Electronic and optical characterization of bulk single crystals of cubic boron nitride (cBN)
Peker Milas,
Sheikh Mathab,
John Bishoy Sam Abraham,
Jahangir Alam,
M. V. S. Chandrashekar,
Adam J. Robinson,
Patrick M. Vora,
Birol Ozturk,
Michael G. Spencer
Affiliations
Peker Milas
Department of Physics, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland 21251, USA
Sheikh Mathab
Department of Physics, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland 21251, USA
John Bishoy Sam Abraham
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland 20723, USA
Jahangir Alam
Department of Physics, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland 21251, USA
M. V. S. Chandrashekar
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, USA
Adam J. Robinson
Department of Physics and Astronomy, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, USA and Quantum Science and Engineering Center, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, USA
Patrick M. Vora
Department of Physics and Astronomy, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, USA and Quantum Science and Engineering Center, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, USA
Birol Ozturk
Department of Physics, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland 21251, USA
Michael G. Spencer
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland 21251, USA
Cubic boron nitride (cBN) is a relatively less studied wide bandgap semiconductor despite its many promising mechanical, thermal, and electronic properties. We report on the electronic, structural, and optical characterization of commercial cBN crystal platelets. Temperature dependent transport measurements revealed the charge limited diode behavior of the cBN crystals. The equilibrium Fermi level was determined to be 0.47 eV below the conduction band, and the electron conduction was identified as n-type. Unirradiated dark and amber colored cBN crystals displayed broad photoluminescence emission peaks centered around different wavelengths. RC series zero phonon line defect emission peaks were observed at room temperature from the electron beam irradiated and oxygen ion implanted cBN crystals, making this material a promising candidate for high power microwave devices, next generation power electronics, and future quantum sensing applications.
