31–40 of 54 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> it just doesn't strike me as an "outstanding contribution to the field of physics" You have to consider it within the context of the intention of the Nobel prize, which is to reward the "invention of greatest benefit to mankind". So perhaps it's not fundamental physics per se, but it's certainly in the spirit of the prize. [Disclaimer: I work on this stuff, and was lucky enough to see Nakamura talk just recently. S…
I've never heard about "invention" as such being a part of the intention of the Nobel prize before, but apparently you are correct, it was mentioned for physics specifically in Nobel's will. I suppose I never made the connection because giving the prize for an invention as opposed to a discovery is very rare. That resolves many of my reservations with this year's winners. I do definitely agree that there is not enoug…
Many groups were working hard on GaN/AlGaN systems at the time, as well as various ternary/quaternary permutations. Kudos to the winners for making it happen. Some pretty big doors were opened.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Or use the (imperfect) GaN crystals to grow incrementally better crystals over multiple rounds? This is exactly what's often done. It's all about scale fundamentally. It's slow to grow crystals, they have to be very high quality single crystals, and they can't have even the slightest trace of impurities, and ideally they're going to be large and easy to process too. If an alternative substrate is also hard to grow…
Is Ostwald ripening a problem?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The "white" LEDs you see in light bulbs in the store are actually blue.
How? Or is it a mix of Red, Blue and Green?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've never heard about "invention" as such being a part of the intention of the Nobel prize before, but apparently you are correct, it was mentioned for physics specifically in Nobel's will. I suppose I never made the connection because giving the prize for an invention as opposed to a discovery is very rare. That resolves many of my reservations with this year's winners. I do definitely agree that there is not enoug…
To amplify, it strikes me as in the spirit of the prize for the scanning tunneling microscope (STM). All of the conceptual pieces were present, it was not a huge intellectual leap to put it together. That said, actually working out the details of the tip and controller etc to produce the beautiful results was, well, you knew it was sublime when you laid eyes on it. Many groups were working hard on GaN/AlGaN systems a…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is Ostwald ripening a problem?
Not specifically. I haven't really heard it mentioned, but I don't actually do growth myself. It's mostly Stranski-Krastanov growth with islands growing until they coalesce. There's not really any significant flow of atoms between islands to my knowledge. What's your interest in it?
By the way, your series of posts on this topic have been superlative—many thanks.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
To amplify, it strikes me as in the spirit of the prize for the scanning tunneling microscope (STM). All of the conceptual pieces were present, it was not a huge intellectual leap to put it together. That said, actually working out the details of the tip and controller etc to produce the beautiful results was, well, you knew it was sublime when you laid eyes on it. Many groups were working hard on GaN/AlGaN systems a…
I don't consider it the same class because an STM is a scientific instrument. It is used to perform more experiments, and leads directly to an increase in knowledge. Blue LEDs themselves, while definitely a big achievement, don't add much to the body of knowledge.
"...the charter, which is then illuminated with LED lights ranging from the ultraviolet at a wavelength of 365 nm, through the visible region, and right up to a wavelength of 1050 nm in the infrared region."