Another implementation doctorate at PORT

Second implementation doctorate in Łukasiewicz – PORT defended. Congratulations to Karolina Moszak, Ph.D. Eng, from the Materials Technology Laboratory in our Materials Science and Engineering Center!

The research aimed to optimize the growth conditions of heterostructures containing layers of three-component AlGaN alloys with high aluminum content. The work was carried out at the Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research Polish Academy of Sciences in Wrocław.

Heterostructures are complex structures made of various materials (here semiconductors), and their growth takes place through the physical deposition of successive layers by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. Providing suitable parameters for this process will allow you to optimize the individual components of LEDs. It may affect their efficiency and increase light emission.

The realization of the doctorate’s assumption lets to understand the mechanisms of structure growth. It is needed to optimize the entire structures of LEDs working in the field of ultraviolet radiation. The results presented in the dissertation have been published as scientific papers and may prove to be of great interest to the industry.

The results of the work can be used in optoelectronic devices, especially in light-emitting diodes working in the ultraviolet radiation (UV-LED) range. The development of this technology is significant due to the need to look for alternative materials for toxic mercury, the use of which is gradually limited. Due to their small size, low energy consumption, and the possibility of being formed into any shape, UV-LEDs are usable for air and water purification and surface disinfection (they have a bactericidal effect).

The demand for UV-LEDs is constantly growing. According to the regulation of the European Parliament and the EU Council, the industry should gradually withdraw mercury and its compounds from production processes and encourage research into other substances that are an alternative to them and that are less harmful to the environment and human health. It is a big challenge for many companies in the technology industry, who offer mercury lamps for disinfecting surfaces and air in workplaces (mainly for production halls, warehouses, hospitals, microbiological laboratories, and air-conditioning systems). During the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic, the idea of ​​using UV lamps also appeared in public spaces (offices, schools, public transport) and at home. An implementation doctorate is an alternative way of obtaining a doctoral degree, intended for people who want to develop their scientific career without giving up their professional work outside the university.