Project funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education under the 2026 programme supporting the maintenance of research equipment, research facilities and specialised IT infrastructure.
Decision No.: 2/SPUB/SN/0265/2026
Total project value: 1,985,893.74 PLN
Total funding: 1,820,402.61 PLN
Project implementation period: 01/01/2026 – 31/12/2028
Project leader: Prof. Detlef Hommel
The project is carried out under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education programme supporting the maintenance of strategic research infrastructure. Its primary objective is to ensure the continuous operation of a unique epitaxial reactor facility together with the associated technical infrastructure, enabling advanced research on modern semiconductor materials.
The facility comprises two complementary semiconductor growth systems: MOVPE (Metal-Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy) reactors and a multi-chamber MBE (Molecular Beam Epitaxy) system equipped with a state-of-the-art analytical chamber featuring AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy), STM (Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy), XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy), and UPS (Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy). The combination of these technologies enables the fabrication of complex semiconductor heterostructures with atomic-scale precision, while allowing their analysis without breaking ultra-high vacuum conditions.
The funding ensures the maintenance of the specialised equipment, supporting technical infrastructure, and the highly qualified personnel required for its operation. This is essential for preserving the facility’s full functionality, ensuring the continuity of long-term research activities, and strengthening collaboration with both academic and industrial partners.
The infrastructure is extensively used in research projects funded by the National Science Centre (NCN) and in national and international collaborative initiatives. Research conducted using the facility focuses on wide-bandgap nitride semiconductors and their applications in advanced optoelectronics, high-power electronics, and quantum technologies. The developed solutions have potential applications in ultraviolet light emitters and detectors, energy-efficient lighting, UV-based disinfection systems, photovoltaics, and next-generation electronic devices.
The project strengthens the institution’s research capacity and supports the strategic priorities of Poland’s science and innovation policy, particularly in the areas of Energy and Climate, Quantum Technologies, and the National Smart Specialisations related to Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology as well as Electronics and Photonics.
