Microscopic theory of Auger recombination in quantum wires

An analysis is made of mechanisms for Auger recombination of nonequilibrium carriers in cylindrical quantum wires. It is shown that two different Auger recombination mechanisms take place in these wires: a quasi-threshold and a nonthreshold mechanism. Both mechanisms are associated with the presence of heterobarriers but are of a different nature. The quasi-threshold mechanism is attributed to the spatial confinement of the carrier wave functions to the region of the quantum wire and in this case the quasi-momentum conservation law is violated and the Auger recombination process is intensified. As the radius of the wire increases, the quasi-threshold Auger recombination process goes over to a threshold process. The nonthreshold mechanism is caused by the scattering of an electron (hole) at the heterojunction; the rate of this nonthreshold Auger recombination tends to zero in the limit of an infinite-radius wire.     

Mechanisms of Auger recombination in quantum wells

The main mechanisms for the Auger recombination of nonequilibrium carriers in semiconductor quantum-well heterostructures are investigated. It is shown for the first time that there are three fundamentally different Auger recombination mechanisms in quantum wells: 1) a threshold-free mechanism, 2) a quasithreshold mechanism, and 3) a threshold mechanism. The rate of the threshold-free process has a weak temperature dependence. The rate of the quasithreshold Auger process exhibits an exponential temperature dependence. However, the threshold energy depends significantly on the quantum-well width and is close to zero for narrow quantum wells. It is shown that the threshold-free and quasithreshold processes are dominant in fairly narrow quantum wells, while the quasithreshold and threshold Auger processes are dominant in wide quantum wells. The limiting transition to a three-dimensional Auger process is accomplished for a quantum-well width tending to infinity. The value of the critical quantum-well width, at which the quasithreshold and threshold Auger processes combine to form a single three-dimensional Auger recombination process, is found. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 113, 1491–1521 (April 1998)     

Auger relaxation processes in semiconductor nanocrystals and quantum wells

Auger recombination rates in mesoscopic semiconductor structures have been studied as a function of energy band parameters and heterostructure size. It is shown that nonthreshold Auger processes stimulated by the presence of heteroboundaries become the dominant nonradiative recombination channel in nanometer size semiconductor structures. The size dependence of luminescence quantum yields in nanostructures and microcrystals are discussed. Auger-like collisions of electrons and heavy holes are shown to serve as “accelerators” of thermalization processes in semiconductor quantum dots.     

Auger carrier leakage in III‐nitride quantum‐well light emitting diodes

Auger induced leakage is shown to be a contributing factor for the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) droop in III‐nitride quantum‐well light emitting diodes (LEDs). The mechanism is based on leakage current from carrier spill‐out of the well originating from energy transfer during Auger recombination. Adding this leakage reduces the Auger coefficient by 50% when compared to a standard Auger model with cubic density dependence. As reference, experimental data of a green quantum‐well LED are taken. Direct leakage due to non‐ideal carrier capture and re‐emission out of the well affects the IQE at current densities much larger than the maximum IQE point. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Charge carrier recombination mechanisms in Sb-containing quantum well laser structures

The dynamics of interband luminescence in structures with InGaAsSb-based quantum wells and barriers of different types was studied at different temperatures and excitation levels. The lifetime of optically injected charge carriers in quantum wells at different temperatures and optical excitation levels was determined. An increased recombination rate in structures with deep electron quantum wells was discovered; it is associated with the occurrence of resonance Auger recombination. It was concluded that the application of quinary solid solutions as barriers in laser structures for a 3—4 fum wavelength range is to be preferred.     

Features of absorption of a weak electromagnetic wave in nanowires

Interband and intersubband optical transitions in quantum wires are studied theoretically with allowance for scattering of carriers both by long-wavelength acoustic fluctuations and by a rough surface. The frequency dependence of the coefficient of light absorption is shown to be described by a bell-shaped curve, the half-width of which depends on the temperature and radius of the nanowire. The theoretical results are compared with experimental data on optical properties of Bi nanowires. In particular, it is shown that scattering of carriers by a rough surface at low temperatures must be taken into account for a satisfactory agreement between the theory and experiment.     

Recombination processes in structures with GaN/ALN quantum dots

Mechanisms of the generation and the radiative and nonradiative recombination of carriers in structures with GaN quantum dots in the AlN matrix are studied experimentally and theoretically. Absorption, stationary and nonstationary photoluminescence of quantum dots at different temperatures are investigated. It is found that the photoluminescence intensity considerably decreases with the temperature while the photoluminescence kinetics weakly depends on the temperature. The photoluminescence kinetics is shown to be determined by radiative recombination inside quantum dots. A mechanism of nonradiative recombination is proposed, according to which the main reason for the thermal quenching of photoluminescence is nonradiative recombination of charge carriers, generated by optical transitions between quantum dots and wetting layer states.     

Delayed auger recombination in silicon measured by time-resolved X-ray scattering

We report a new method of measuring the non-radiative recombination rate in bulk Silicon. Synchrotron time-resolved x-ray scattering (TRXS) combines femtometer spatial sensitivity with nanosecond time resolution to record the temporal evolution of a crystal lattice following intense ultrafast laser excitation. Modeling this data requires an Auger recombination time that is considerably slower than previous measurements, which were made at lower laser intensities while probing only a relatively shallow surface depth. We attribute this difference to an enhanced Coulomb interaction that has been predicted to occur in bulk materials with high densities of photoexcited charge carriers.     

Reasons of emission inhomogeneity in InAs quantum dot structures

The photoluminescence (PL) inhomogeneity has been studied in InAs quantum dots (QDs) embedded in the symmetric In_0.15Ga_0.85As/GaAs quantum wells (QWs) with QDs grown at different temperatures. It was shown that three reasons are responsible for the emission inhomogeneity in studied QD structures: (i) the high concentration of nonradiative recombination centers in the capping In_0.15Ga_0.85As layer at low QD growth temperatures, (ii) the QD density and size distributions for the structure with QD grown at 510 ^°C, (iii) the high concentration of nonradiative recombination centers in the GaAs barrier at higher QD growth temperatures.     

Population inversion and IR amplification induced by intersubband electron transitions and resonant Auger processes in quantum wells

A mechanism for electron population inversion and mid-IR amplification is proposed for the case of the current or optical injection of electron-hole pairs into the undoped region of a heterojunction with quantum wells. The presence of an upper long-lived size-quantization level and resonant Auger recombination in the well are crucial features of the mechanism. A long electron lifetime at the upper level or a relatively low probability of electron scattering to the other subbands is achieved by choosing the shape of the well and its parameters in such a way as to provide weak overlap between the upper level and two lower level electronic wave functions. Resonant Auger recombination plays a positive role. It stabilizes the electron and hole concentrations at lower levels and makes a substantial contribution to the excitation of the upper electronic level and the population inversion. The degree of population inversion and the gain coefficient are estimated.     

Temperature effects on exciton–phonon coupling and Auger recombination in CdTe/ZnTe quantum dots

We report the results of experimental studies on temperature-dependent thermal escape and Auger recombination coefficients in CdTe/ZnTe quantum dots. We show that at low temperatures, there is a thermally activated transition between two different states separated by a localization energy of about 15.8 meV, while the primary non-radiative process at high temperatures is thermal escape assisted multi-longitudinal optical (LO) phonons absorption with three phonons. The most striking result is a rapid increase in the Auger coefficient and a reduction in the decay time with increasing temperature above 35 K. These results show that the Auger process is assisted by the participation of phonons with an energy threshold of 34.4 meV and an LO phonon energy of around 19 meV.     

Injection, intersubband relaxation and recombination in GaAs multiple quantum wells

Results of continuous excitation, time-delayed and time-resolved cathodoluminescence experiments on undoped and Be-doped GaAs multiple quantum wells of thickness 5–11 nm are reported for temperatures 5–300 K and excitation intensities 1–10³ W/cm². Comparison is made with similar investigations of bulk epitaxial GaAs layers. Increasing structural localisation of the carriers is identified to lead to a qualitative change of the type of recombination. Increasingly faster radiative excitonic recombination leads to a bypass of impurity and trap capture processes in undoped as well as in doped material, at low temperatures as well as at room temperature. Despite the exponential character of excitonic decay, the luminescence transients are found to be very complex due to an interplay of intersubband scattering and recombination processes and time-dependent carrier temperature. Transients are analysed in detail, excitonic lifetimes and intersubband scattering times are derived. It is argued that both the lifetime reduction in quantum wells and the novel process of recombination heating lead to a strongly increased quasiequilibrium temperature of excited carriers in the wells as compared to bulk material. Injection of carriers from 18 nm GaAlAs barriers to GaAs wells is found to occur in less than 10^-12 s without loss.     

Assessing Carrier Recombination Processes in Type‐II SiGe/Si(001) Quantum Dots

In this work, it is shown how different carrier recombination paths significantly broaden the photoluminescence (PL) emission bandwidth observed in type‐II self‐assembled SiGe/Si(001) quantum dots (QDs). QDs grown by molecular beam epitaxy with very homogeneous size distribution, onion‐shaped composition profile, and Si capping layer thicknesses varying from 0 to 1100 nm are utilized to assess the optical carrier‐recombination paths. By using high‐energy photons for PL excitation, electron‐hole pairs can be selectively generated either above or below the QD layer and, thus, clearly access two radiative carrier recombination channels. Fitting the charge carrier capture‐, loss‐ and recombination‐dynamics to PL time‐decay curves measured for different experimental configurations allows to obtain quantitative information of carrier capture‐, excitonic‐emission‐, and Auger‐recombination rates in this type‐II nano‐system.     

III‐nitride quantum dots for ultra‐efficient solid‐state lighting

III‐nitride light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes (LDs) are ultimately limited in performance due to parasitic Auger recombination. For LEDs, the consequences are poor efficiencies at high current densities; for LDs, the consequences are high thresholds and limited efficiencies. Here, we present arguments for III‐nitride quantum dots (QDs) as active regions for both LEDs and LDs, to circumvent Auger recombination and achieve efficiencies at higher current densities that are not possible with quantum wells. QD‐based LDs achieve gain and thresholds at lower carrier densities before Auger recombination becomes appreciable. QD‐based LEDs achieve higher efficiencies at higher currents because of higher spontaneous emission rates and reduced Auger recombination. The technical challenge is to control the size distribution and volume of the QDs to realize these benefits. If constructed properly, III‐nitride light‐emitting devices with QD active regions have the potential to outperform quantum well light‐emitting devices, and enable an era of ultra‐efficient solid‐state lighting.

     

Phonon-assisted auger recombination in quantum well semiconductors

Phonon-assisted Auger recombination (AR) is shown to be an important loss mechanism in a quantum well semiconductor in addition to the direct AR. Theoretical investigations demonstrate that it is of the same order of magnitude and has the same temperature dependence as in bulk material, just as direct AR, provided that the material parameters and the carrier concentrations are the same as in the bulk.     

Determination of carrier density dependent lifetime and quantum efficiency in semiconductors with a photoluminescence method (application to InGaAsP/InP heterostructures)

The light beam of a laser is focussed near the surface of a semiconductor sample. Thereby the excitation rate can be controlled precisely assuming a Gaussian intensity distribution of the beam. Measuring the recombination light intensity yields the quantum efficiency of the sample. By sinusoidal modulation of the excitation light and measurement of the resulting phase shift of the recombination light, the carrier density dependent lifetime is obtained. By evaluation of measured internal quantum efficiency and phase shift, Auger and radiative recombination coefficients are determined. The analysis takes into account the carrier density dependence of the radiative coefficient and shows that for most experimental conditions carrier diffusion can be neglected. In this case the analysis can be performed without numerical integration. Application of the method to quaternary InGaAsP material yielded values for Auger coefficient and radiative coefficients in accordance with published results.     

势垒硅掺杂对GaN基LED极化电场及其光电性能的影响

势垒硅掺杂对InGaN量子阱中的电场及LED器件的光电性能有着重要的影响。采用6×6 K·P方法计算了不同势垒硅掺杂浓度对量子阱中电场的变化,研究表明当势垒硅掺杂浓度>1e¹⁸ cm^-3时,阱垒界面处的电场强度会变大,这主要是由于硅掺杂浓度过高导致量子阱中界面电荷的聚集。进一步发现随着势垒掺杂浓度的升高,总非辐射复合随之增加,其中俄歇复合增加,而肖克莱-霍尔-里德复合随之减少,这是由于点陷阱的增大形成了缺陷能级。电流电压曲线表明势垒掺杂可有效改善GaN基LED的工作电压,这归于掺杂浓度的提高改善了载流子的传输特性。当掺杂浓度为1e¹⁸ cm^-3时,获得了较高的内量子效率,这主要是由于适当的势垒掺杂降低了量子阱中界面电荷的损耗。     

Theoretical investigation of Auger recombination on internal quantum efficiency of blue light-emitting diodes

The Auger recombination is recently proposed as one of the possible origins for the deteriorated internal quantum efficiency of InGaN light-emitting diodes. The Auger recombination behavior is quite different under widely varied Auger coefficients. The effect of Auger coefficient on the efficiency and output power is investigated numerically. The simulation results indicate that the Auger recombination with large Auger coefficient greatly decreases the efficiency in the whole current range under study. It is found that the electron current leakage and nonuniform hole distribution are the possible mechanisms responsible for the efficiency droop at high injection current.     

Concentration and mean free path of the conduction electrons in scandium,yttrium and lanthanides

Measurements were carried out of the thickness dependence of the room-temperature electrical resistivity of vacuum-deposited polycrystalline films of scandium, yttrium and rare earth metals. Inserting these results into the size-effect relation giving the conductivity of thin deposits, and considering all the factors which can affect the mechanism of electron scattering at the surfaces, both the density and the bulk mean free path of the charge carriers were determined.