Morgan Ware, assistant professor of electrical engineering, has been appointed as a fellow in the 2017 Air Force Research Lab Summer Faculty Fellowship Program at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio. He will be joining the Sensors Directorate, which develops sensor technology for air- and space-borne applications.

The U.S. Air Force Research Lab Summer Faculty Fellowship Program provides science, mathematics and engineering faculty with the opportunity to participate in research aimed at solving Air Force challenges. Faculty fellows spend eight to 12 weeks at participating Air Force research facilities. The program is sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

"This is a great opportunity for Morgan," said Juan Carlos Balda, head of the Department of Electrical Engineering. "He will be able to gain familiarity with research work performed by the Air Force, identify potential topics for future research proposals and network with program managers in the Department of Defense. In addition, the Air Force research personnel will have a chance to learn about the excellent facilities that U of A has for new material research."

Ware's research currently focuses on semiconductor crystal growth for optical and electrical devices. During the fellowship, he will be studying the incorporation of tin and germanium, both elements chemically similar to silicon, into silicon crystal growth. 

Silicon is at the heart of the semiconductor electronics industry, which is reaching physical limitations in terms of size, electrical conductivity, and as a result, computer processing speed. This ultimately limits future improvements.  The integration of tin and germanium into this technology will facilitate a potential conversion from electronic devices to optical or photonic devices, which will increase speed and reduce heat production. This will also provide a platform for seamless integration with photonic communication technologies, which are well established.

The results of the research performed during Ware's tenure at the Air Force Research Laboratory will be an increased understanding of the mechanisms and the environmental conditions that allow for the controlled growth of crystals containing alloys of these elements and the resulting optical and electrical properties exhibited by these crystals. This research will provide the groundwork for the future development of more efficient and faster electronic systems and improved sensor and light source technologies, which will enhance both communications and information processing for the Air Force.