Publications Details
CCST (Center for Compound Semiconductor Technology) Research Briefs
The Center for Compound Semiconductor Technology (CCST) was formed within the Solid-State Sciences Directorate at Sandia National Laboratories in 1988, as the culmination of a long-term thrust into compound semiconductor research and technology that began about ten years ago. At that time, it was realized that electronic and optoelectronic devices based on compound semiconductors would be necessary for photonic applications, and that they could provide greater radiation hardness, higher speed, and higher operating temperatures than comparable silicon devices and circuits. It was also realized that a successful program would require the development and integration of materials growth and processing capability, solid-state physics research, and device engineering. The program at Sandia grew steadily from the purchase of the first Molecular beam Epitaxy (MBE) system in 1981, and the discovery of strained-layer superlattices in 1982, to the completion of the Compound Semiconductor Research Laboratory in 1989. To more formally organize this effort, Sandia established the CCST in 1988, aided by $10M of funding from DARPA. The CCST comprises most of the compound semiconductor research and development activities in the Solid-State Sciences Directorate. Ongoing programs are funded by the DOE Office of Military Applications, DOE Basic Energy Sciences, DOE Conservation and Renewable Energy, and the Department of Defense. 15 figs.