Harnessing diverse, new semiconductors for future applications requires a thorough understanding of electronic materials with different bonding mechanisms. Chalcogenide electronic materials feature bonding that is intermediate between covalent semiconductors (such as silicon) and ionic materials (such as oxides and halides), and offer a wealth of opportunities for materials design. However, chalcogenide materials synthesis and processing are often non-trivial for reasons including vapor pressure mismatches, propensity for oxidation, and the technical challenges in handling toxic and corrosive gases. This symposium will gather researchers working in chalcogenide electronic materials broadly, and will highlight research and applications of sulfides, selenides, and tellurides, and multi-anionic systems.

All researchers who work with chalcogenide electronic materials share awareness of the opportunities and challenges involved. This symposium is intended to organize and serve the needs of this growing community. A wide range of studies including theory, materials synthesis and characterization, devices, and applications will be covered. The symposium will be interdisciplinary: it will include for instance physical chemists working on nanoscale I-V-VI compounds for photonics, device physicists demonstrating phenomena in layered chalcogenides, photovoltaic specialists studying alternative materials for thin-film solar cells, electrical engineers evaluating phase-change materials for use in future computers and photonic integrated circuits, and material scientists working on sensing applications. There will be emphasis on the field of complex-structured chalcogenide semiconductors. Studies of reacting solid-vapor systems of oxygen, chalcogens, and metals, that are relevant to thin-film processing are encouraged. Research on oxides will also be included as it relates to chalcogenides more broadly.

chemical vapor deposition (CVD) (deposition) crystal crystal growth electrical properties electronic material film optical optical properties optoelectronic physical vapor deposition (PVD)