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Tom Myers
Robert C. Byrd Professor of Physics
B.S., North Carolina State University, 1979
Ph.D., North Carolina State University, 1983
West Virginia University
Department of Physics
PO Box 6315
Morgantown, WV 26506
Tel: (304)293-3422 ext. 1469
Fax: (304)293-5732
tmyers@wvu.edu
The Molecular Beam Epitaxy Lab at West Virginia University
Technology based on semiconductor devices has vastly changed the way we live, work and play. These changes would not have occurred without an in-depth understanding of physical processes in semiconductor materials. While the basic physics of semiconductors is well understood, many problems remain to be solved.
My group is interested in wide bandgap II-VI and III-V semiconductors. These materials can be used as the basis of electro-optic devices, such as lasers or detectors, which operate in the blue to ultraviolet spectral region. We are using an ultra high vacuum growth technique called molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) to study these materials to better understand the physics of growth and defect formation. We are studying the modification of surface growth kinetics using non-thermal energy sources and gas-surface interactions. Additionally, we are studying the formation and resulting physics of point defects. Particular emphasis is on the interaction between dopant atoms and point defects.
Nearly $1M has been spent in developing the MBE growth and associated characterization facilities, which are new additions to the Physics Department. Current research efforts are supported by the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Department of Defense, and interactions with industrial labs.
My interest in the electro-optic properties of semiconductors spans over twenty years and I have been actively involved in the development of molecular beam epitaxy for II-VI and Group III-nitride materials for over fifteen years. Eight of those years were at General Electric's Electronics Laboratory where I directed industrial research on II-VI compounds. My industrial experience brings a unique perspective in choosing research directions at West Virginia University and I expect that my research group will continue to collaborate with industry on topics of mutual interest.