Dr. R. R. LaPierre

Dr. R. R. LaPierre

Associate Professor
Undergraduate Associate Chair
Department of Engineering Physics

McMaster University
1280 Main Street West, Hamilton
Ontario, Canada  L8S 4L7

office: JHE/A324
email: lapierr@mcmaster.ca
voice:  (905) 525-9140 x 27764
fax:    (905) 527-8409

B.Sc. (Dalhousie), M. Eng. (McMaster), Ph.D. (McMaster)

Research Interests

Nanostructures and Optoelectronics

Research Website: http://epic.mcmaster.ca/~lapierre/index.htm
Our research group focuses on controlling and manipulating the structure of semiconductor surfaces on the atomic scale for nanostructure, biomedical and optoelectronic device applications. The materials of primary interest in our work are III-V compound semiconductors used as sources, detectors, sensors, and photovoltaic (solar cell) devices. An molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system is available for growth of semiconductor alloys containing In, Ga, As, P, Al, Sb and N. A wide range of deposition and processing techniques are under investigation to create nanoscale surface features. We have a large effort to develop third generation solar cells using nanowires.  Various projects include:

  • Integration of organic or “soft” matter with compound semiconductor surfaces for biomedical device applications.
  • Understanding the fundamental semiconductor growth processes in molecular beam epitaxy.
  • Growth of semiconductor nanowires by the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth technique.
  • Understanding and manipulating the interfacial properties of semiconductor heterostructures.

 

Selected Publications

H.A. Budz, Mark C. Biesinger and R.R. LaPierre, Passivation of GaAs by octadecanethiol self-assembled monolayers deposited from liquid and vapor phases, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 27 (2009) 637 .

S. C. Ghosh, P. Kruse and R. R. LaPierre, Effect of GaAs (100) surface preparation on growth of nanowires, Nanotechnology 20 (2009) 115602.

J.A. Czaban, David A. Thompson, Ray R. LaPierre, GaAs core-shell nanowires for photovoltaic applications, Nano Lett. 9 (2009) 148.

P.K. Mohseni and R.R. LaPierre, A growth interruption technique for stacking fault-free nanowire superlattices, Nanotechnology 20 (2009) 025610.

Y.A. Pusep, G.C. Gozzo, and R.R. LaPierre, Interface roughness in short-period InGaAs/InP superlattices, Appl. Phys. Lett. 93 (2008) 242104.

P.K. Mohseni, G. Lawson, C. Couteau, G. Weihs, A. Adronov and R.R. LaPierre, Growth and characterization of GaAs nanowires on carbon nanotube composite films: towards flexible nano-devices, Nano Lett. 8 (2008) 4075.

M.C. Plante and R.R. LaPierre, Control of GaAs nanowire morphology and crystal structure, Nanotechnology 19 (2008) 495603.

H.A. Budz and R.R. LaPierre, Properties of octadecanethiol self-assembled monolayers deposited on GaAs from liquid and vapor phases, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 26 (2008) 1425.

C. Chen, N. Braidy, C. Couteau, C. Fradin, G. Weihs, and R.R. LaPierre, Multiple quantum well AlGaAs nanowires, Nano Lett. 8 (2008) 495-499.

M.C. Plante and R.R. LaPierre, Au-assisted growth of GaAs nanowires by gas source molecular beam epitaxy: tapering, sidewall faceting and crystal structure, J. Cryst. Growth 310 (2008) 356-363.

P.K. Mohseni, C. Maunders, G.A. Botton, and R.R. LaPierre, GaP/GaAsP/GaP core-multishell nanowire heterostructureson (111) silicon, Nanotechnology 18 (2007) 445304.

C. Chen, S. Shehata, C. Fradin, C.  Couteau, G. Weihs, and R.R. LaPierre, Self-directed growth of AlGaAs core-shell nanowires for visible light applications, Nano Lett. 7 (2007) 2584.

D.M. Cornet and R.R. LaPierre, InGaAs/InP core-shell and axial heterostructure nanowires, Nanotechnology 18 (2007) 385305.

S.C. Ghosh, M.C. Biesinger, R.R. LaPierre, and P. Kruse, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic study of the formation of catalytic Au nanoparticles on ultraviolet-ozone oxidized GaAs(100) substrates, J. Appl. Phys. 101 (2007) 114322.
S.C. Ghosh, M.C. Biesinger, R.R. LaPierre, and P. Kruse, The role of proximity caps during the annealing of ultraviolet-ozone oxidized GaAs, J. Appl. Phys. 101 (2007) 114321.

D.M. Cornet, V.G.M. Mazzetti, and R.R. LaPierre, Onset of stacking faults in InP grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy, Appl. Phys. Lett. 90 (2007) 013116.

C. Chen, M.C. Plante, C. Fradin, and R.R. LaPierre, Layer-by-layer and step-flow growth mechanisms in GaAsP/GaP nanowire heterostructures, J. Mater. Res. 21 (2006) 2801-2809.

M.C. Plante, J. Garrett, S.C. Ghosh, P. Kruse, H. Schriemer, T. Hall, and R. R. LaPierre, The formation of supported monodisperse Au nanoparticles by uv/ozone oxidation process, Appl. Surf. Sci. 253 (2006) 2348-2354.

D.M. Cornet, R.R. LaPierre, D. Comedi, and Y.A. Pusep, High resolution x-ray diffraction analysis of InGaAs/InP superlattices, J. Appl. Phys. 100 (2006) 043518.
Y.A. Pusep, A.G. Rodrigues, J.C. Galzerani, D. Comedi, and R.R. LaPierre, Evidence of the miniband formation in InGaAs/InP superlattices, Brazilian J. Physics 36 (2006) 905.
Y.A. Pusep, A.G. Rodrigues, J.C. Galzerani, D.M. Cornet, D. Comedi, and R.R. LaPierre, Miniband effect on optical vibrations in short-period InGaAs/InP superlattices, Phys. Rev. B 73 (2006) 235344.
M.C. Plante and R.R. LaPierre, Growth mechanisms of GaAs nanowires by gas source molecular beam epitaxy, J. Cryst. Growth 286 (2006) 394-399.