SSc

Dr.-Ing. Saskia Schimmel

Chair of Electron Devices

Research associates

Address

Cauerstraße 6 91058 Erlangen
Room: 01.154, Floor: 01

Contact

Emmy Noether Research Group Leader

Spokesperson of DFG Priority Programme "Nitrides4Future"

Dr. Schimmel leads an independent research group funded via the Emmy Noether Programme of the German Research Foundation (DFG), forming the area of expertise Materials synthesis within the Chair of Electron Devices (LEB) at FAU. Her research focuses on nitride semiconductors and their controlled synthesis, properties, and integration into energy-efficient electronic devices.

A key aspect is the ammonothermal crystal growth and the development of methods for in situ observation of dissolution, transport, and growth processes of nitride semiconductors. The work combines experimental high-pressure synthesis, characterization, and modeling-based approaches for the targeted development of materials, technologies, and processes, and establishes a platform for the targeted exploration of new material and process spaces.

The scientific activities, ongoing projects, and team of the Emmy Noether group are presented on the page Nitride Semiconductors (AG Schimmel) .

As spokesperson of the DFG Priority Programme Nitrides4Future, Dr. Schimmel additionally leads national research activities in the field of nitride semiconductors and devices, including their integration into the international reserach community.

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  • : BRIDGE fellowship (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)) – 2025
  • : IUCr Young Scientist Award (International Union of Crystallography) – 2022
  • : Emerging Talents Initiative (ETI) (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg) – 2022
  • : Feodor Lynen Return Fellowship (Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung) – 2021
  • : Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research in Japan (Standard) (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)) – 2019
  • : ISASF best PhD thesis award (2nd prize) (International Society for Advancement of Supercritical Fluids (ISASF)) – 2019
  • : Promotionsstipendium (1 year) (Erika Giehrl-Stiftung) – 2014
  • : Stipendium für Masterarbeit an der Universität Linköping (Schweden) (German Crystal Growth Association (DGKK)) – 2012
  • : Stipendium für Studiensemester an der Universität Linköping (Schweden) (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Erich Müller-Stiftung) – 2011

  • „Novel nitride materials for electronic devices“ (2. Period of funding)

    (Third Party Funds Single)

    Project leader:
    Term: 1. August 2026 - 31. July 2029
    Funding source: DFG-Einzelförderung / Emmy-Noether-Programm (EIN-ENP)
    Abstract

    The overall goal of the project is to develop selected emerging nitride semiconductors alongside with an improved and more generalizable understanding of ammonothermal growth of nitrides. The project evaluates the fundamental properties of selected emerging ternary nitrides with regard to prospective applications in electronic devices. Bulk crystals will be grown via the ammonothermal method. Alongside with gaining access to the materials, a deepened understanding of the ammonothermal synthesis and doping of binary and ternary materials will be established. The targeted nitrides are suitable for heteroepitaxial integration with each other, which prospectively enables novel combinations of materials properties in electronic devices. Building on previous results on GaN, the material system GaN-AlN-AlGaN will first be investigated. AlGaN will serve as an exemplary case for studying ways of controlled crystallization of ternary nitrides via solute transport in ammonothermal solutions. Methods of intentional doping and conductivity control during ammonothermal crystal growth will be investigated using AlN as an example. The low growth temperatures enabled by ammonothermal synthesis represent a prospective pathway to conductive AlN substrates via doping with Si, which could enable significant improvements in the energy efficiency of vertical power electronic devices. The use of custom high-pressure optical cells creates unique capabilities for monitoring ammonothermal reactions in situ. In the case of Ga, these will be utilized to deepen the fundamental understanding. In situ monitoring will also be applied for expanding the fundamental understanding to the constituent elements of the ternary nitrides targeted in the project, specifically Al, Si, Mg, Mn and Zn. In parallel, in situ monitoring methods for investigating complex systems will be developed further, namely simultaneous in situ measurements with complementary techniques such as x-ray absorption, UV-Vis- and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, the roles of pressure and ammonia density for crystallization will be clarified and the feasibility of crystallization at significantly lower pressures will be evaluated. Within the project, the obtained understanding of the crystallization of ternary nitrides and their transport in ammonothermal fluids will be utilized for the crystallization of three emerging ternary nitride materials of the composition II-Si-N2 (II = Mg, Mn, Zn). Their synthesis as single crystals of good structural quality enables the experimental evaluation of their bulk properties. Building on the obtained knowledge of the properties of these materials, their application prospects in electronic devices will be evaluated further, including a first evaluation of the application potential of epitaxial heterostructures of the investigated materials.

  • Nitrides4Future: Coordination Funds

    (Third Party Funds Single)

    Project leader:
    Term: 1. May 2026 - 30. April 2029
    Acronym: Nitrides4Future
    Funding source: DFG / Schwerpunktprogramm (SPP)
    URL: https://www.nitrides4future.research.fau.eu/
    Abstract

    Semiconductors are the backbone of modern microelectronics – a key technology for driving innovations. Besides silicon, gallium nitride has been established as reliable platform. The high potential of the material class of nitrides stems from the extraordinarily broad spectrum of material properties: semiconducting, metallic, piezoelectric, ferroelectric or superconducting. Nitride semiconductors are already used commercially in photonic devices such as LEDs and laser diodes as well as in high-frequency and power electronic devices. However, this should not obscure the fact that further development of nitride technology is still strongly limited by the properties of the materials mostly investigated so far. For instance, the efficiency of UVC LEDs is still very low because the defect densities typical of nitrides have a much stronger effect in UVC LEDs than in blue LEDs. For power electronic devices, approaches for realizing vertical device architectures for higher breakdown voltage, higher currents, or normally-off transistors are being studied. However, piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of some of the new metal nitrides have not been applied at all in device architectures. This could be a very exciting approach, e.g. for the realization of ferroelectric memories and in combination with photonic devices for optical neuromorphic computing. Furthermore, they have enormous potential as piezoelectric acoustic filters in communication electronics. There is also growing evidence that several ternary metal nitrides (beyond the best known representative AlScN) possess highest electro-optic coefficients. Such materials are being considered as promising substitutes for LiNbO3 and could pave the way for a future technology for fabricating photonic circuits for the blue/UV spectral region. Each of the described functionalities are attractive in their own right. However, the combination of the functionalities in one device holds particularly great potential for a disruptive evolution of nitride technology. The potential combination of photonic, electronic, ferroelectric, and electro-optic properties in a single material family is unique. The goal of the priority program is to explore and systematically improve the properties of novel nitrides (such as alloys of AlN with CrN, YN, LaN, YbN, and MoN), and to subsequently realize device architectures that exploit the multitude of functionalities.

  • PiezoTUNE: Tuning piezo- and ferroelectric properties of III-nitrides by alloying with metal nitrides – crystallization from N2- and NH3-based solutions and gas phases guided by atomistic simulations

    (Third Party Funds Group – Sub project)

    Overall project: SPP 2477: Nitrides4Future – Novel Materials and Device Concepts
    Project leader: ,
    Term: 15. April 2026 - 14. April 2029
    Acronym: PiezoTUNE
    Funding source: DFG / Schwerpunktprogramm (SPP)
    Abstract

    The overarching aim of the present project aims at the tailor-made syntheses and characterization of metal nitrides with enhanced piezoelectric properties. For this, in-depth understanding of III1-xMexN and MeN crystal growth from experiments and atomistic simulations will be provided - both for ammonia- and nitrogen-based gas phases and solutions. The handshaking of molecular simulations and syntheses experiments shall firstly elaborate a profound rationalization of the fundamental mechanisms and aspects of the ferroelectric properties of the resulting products. Based on this atomic-scale understanding we will move towards an increasing rational design of crystal growth to achieve wurtzite III1-xMexN (III=Ga,Al; Me=Cr, B, Y, …) and rocksalt MeN (Me= Y, Sc, …) single crystals of high quality. This involves seed-based growth of multi-layer systems (such as heterostructures in devices), analyses and controlling of defect arrangements and the investigation of elastic and piezoelectric properties offering numerous cooperations with project groups funded by Nitrides4Future priority program.

  • KI-FUNKEN: KI-Fähigkeiten für Elektroingenieur*innen: Entfachen von KI-unterstützter Innovation

    (FAU Funds)

    Project leader: ,
    Term: 1. October 2024 - 30. September 2025
    Acronym: KI-FUNKEN

  • „Novel nitride materials for electronic devices“ (1st period of funding)

    (Third Party Funds Single)

    Project leader:
    Term: 1. August 2023 - 30. September 2027
    Funding source: DFG-Einzelförderung / Emmy-Noether-Programm (EIN-ENP)
    Abstract

    The overall goal of the project is to develop selected emerging nitride semiconductors alongside with an improved and more generalizable understanding of ammonothermal growth of nitrides. The project evaluates the fundamental properties of selected emerging ternary nitrides with regard to prospective applications in electronic devices. Bulk crystals will be grown via the ammonothermal method. Alongside with gaining access to the materials, a deepened understanding of the ammonothermal synthesis and doping of binary and ternary materials will be established. The targeted nitrides are suitable for heteroepitaxial integration with each other, which prospectively enables novel combinations of materials properties in electronic devices. Building on previous results on GaN, the material system GaN-AlN-AlGaN will first be investigated. AlGaN will serve as an exemplary case for studying ways of controlled crystallization of ternary nitrides via solute transport in ammonothermal solutions. Methods of intentional doping and conductivity control during ammonothermal crystal growth will be investigated using AlN as an example. The low growth temperatures enabled by ammonothermal synthesis represent a prospective pathway to conductive AlN substrates via doping with Si, which could enable significant improvements in the energy efficiency of vertical power electronic devices. The use of custom high-pressure optical cells creates unique capabilities for monitoring ammonothermal reactions in situ. In the case of Ga, these will be utilized to deepen the fundamental understanding. In situ monitoring will also be applied for expanding the fundamental understanding to the constituent elements of the ternary nitrides targeted in the project, specifically Al, Si, Mg, Mn and Zn. In parallel, in situ monitoring methods for investigating complex systems will be developed further, namely simultaneous in situ measurements with complementary techniques such as x-ray absorption, UV-Vis- and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, the roles of pressure and ammonia density for crystallization will be clarified and the feasibility of crystallization at significantly lower pressures will be evaluated. Within the project, the obtained understanding of the crystallization of ternary nitrides and their transport in ammonothermal fluids will be utilized for the crystallization of three emerging ternary nitride materials of the composition II-Si-N2 (II = Mg, Mn, Zn). Their synthesis as single crystals of good structural quality enables the experimental evaluation of their bulk properties. Building on the obtained knowledge of the properties of these materials, their application prospects in electronic devices will be evaluated further, including a first evaluation of the application potential of epitaxial heterostructures of the investigated materials.

  • High-energy computed tomography for in situ observation of processes taking place inside high-pressure vessels - development using the example of ammonothermal crystal growth of GaN

    (FAU Funds)

    Project leader:
    Term: 15. January 2023 - 14. January 2024

  • Paving the way for validation of numerical simulations of ammonothermal crystal growth via in situ monitoring technology

    (Third Party Funds Single)

    Project leader:
    Term: 1. August 2021 - 31. July 2022
    Funding source: Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung

  • Ammonothermal growth of low dislocation density, high purity bulk GaN for power electronic devices

    (Non-FAU Project)

    Project leader:
    Term: 31. May 2019 - 30. May 2021
    Funding source: andere Förderorganisation

Further information can be found here: ORCiD, Scopus, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, LinkedIn.