Investigation of optical properties of modulation doped GaN/AlGaN MQWS nanostructures

Due to many important applications, the group III-nitride semiconductors have recently attracted remarkable attention among the semiconductor researchers and engineers. In this paper, we report on the impact of the extrinsic and temporal carriers on the screening of the polarization internal fields. The optical efficiency of GaN/AlGaN multiple quantum well (MQW) nanostructures were studied by means of photoluminescence (PL) and time-resolved PL measurements. Extrinsic carriers come from Si doping in the barriers while temporal carriers originate when the samples are excited by the laser beam. The emission peaks of MQWs in PL spectra of the undoped and low-doped samples show a shift towards higher energy levels as excitation intensity increases, while the other samples do not exhibit such a phenomenon due to the dominance of the extrinsic carriers. The transient data confirm the results of the PL measurements.     

蓝光激光器结构中InGaN/GaN多量子阱界面效应的精细光致发光光谱研究

金属有机化学气相沉积(MOCVD)方法制备InGaN/GaN多量子阱结构时,在GaN势垒层生长的N2载气中引入适量H2,能够有效改善阱/垒界面质量从而提升发光效率.本工作利用光致发光(PL)光谱技术,对蓝光激光器结构中的InGaN/GaN多量子阱的发光性能进行了精细的光谱学测量与表征,研究了通H2生长对量子阱界面的调控...     

High-efficiency InGaN/AlInGaN multiple quantum wells with lattice-matched AlInGaN superlattices barrier

A new approach to fabricating high-quality AlInGaN film as a lattice-matched barrier layer in multiple quantum wells(MQWs) is presented. The high-quality AlInGaN film is realized by growing the AlGaN/InGaN short period superlattices through metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, and then being used as a barrier in the MQWs. The crystalline quality of the MQWs with the lattice-matched AlInGaN barrier and that of the conventional InGaN/GaN MQWs are characterized by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The photoluminescence(PL) properties of the InGaN/AlInGa N MQWs are investigated by varying the excitation power density and temperature through comparing with those of the InGaN/GaN MQWs. The integral PL intensity of InGaN/AlInGaN MQWs is over 3 times higher than that of InGaN/GaN MQWs at room temperature under the highest excitation power. Temperature-dependent PL further demonstrates that the internal quantum efficiency of InGaN/AlInGaN MQWs(76.1%) is much higher than that of InGaN/GaN MQWs(21%).The improved luminescence performance of InGaN/AlInGaN MQWs can be attributed to the distinct reduction of the barrier-well lattice mismatch and the strain-induced non-radiative recombination centers.     

Strain Effect on Photoluminescences from InGaN MQWs with Different Barriers Grown by MOCVD

InGaN/GaN MQWs, InGaN/AlGaN MQWs and InGaN/AlInGaN MQWs are grown on （0001） sapphire substrates by MOCVD. Membrane samples are fabricated by laser lift-off technology. The photoluminescence spec-ra of membranes show a blue shift of peak positions in InGaN/GaN MQWs, a red shift of peak positions in InGaN/AlGaN MQWs and no shift of peak positions in InGaN/AIlnGaN MQWs from those of samples with substrates. Different changes in Raman scattering spectra and HR-XRD （0002） profile of InGaN/AlInGaN MQWs, from those of InGaN/GaN MQWs and InGaN/AlGaN MQWs, are observed. The fact that the strain changes differently among InGaN MQWs with different barriers is confirmed. The AIlnGaN barrier could adjust the residual stress for the least strain-induced electric field in InGaN/AIlnGaN quantum wells.     

Influence of pressure on the properties of GaN/AlN multi-quantum wells – Ab initio study

Pressure dependence of physical properties of GaN/AlN multi-quantum wells (MQWs) was investigated using ab intio calculations. The influence of pressure was divided into two main contributions: pressure affecting the properties of GaN and AlN bulk semiconductors and an influence on systems of polar quantum wells deposited on various substrates. An influence of hydrostatic, uniaxial, and tetragonal strain on the crystallographic structure, polarization (piezoelectricity), and the bandgap of the bulk systems is assessed using ab initio calculations. It was shown that when a partial relaxation of the structure is assumed, the tetragonal strain may explain an experimentally observed reduction of pressure coefficients for polar GaN/AlN MQWs. The MQWs were also simulated directly using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. A comparison of these two approaches confirmed that nonlinear effects induced by the tetragonal strain related to lattice mismatch between the substrates and the polar MQWs systems are responsible for a drastic decrease of the pressure coefficients of photoluminescence (PL) energy experimentally observed in polar GaN/AlGaN MQWs.     

Temperature‐dependent emission shift and carrier dynamics in deep ultraviolet AlGaN/AlGaN quantum wells

Radiative and nonradiative processes in deep ultraviolet (DUV) AlGaN/AlGaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) grown by LP‐MOCVD have been studied by means of deep ultraviolet time‐integrated photoluminescence (PL) and time‐resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) spectroscopy. As the temperature is increased, the peak energy of DUV‐AlGaN/AlGaN MQWs PL emission (E_p) exhibits a similarly anti‐S‐shaped behavior (blueshift – accelerated redshift – decelerated redshift): E_p increases in the temperature range of 5.9–20 K and decreases for 20–300 K, involving an accelerated redshift for 20–150 K and an opposite decelerated redshift for 150–300 K with temperature increase. Especially at high temperature as 300 K, the slope of the E_p redshift tends towards zero. This temperature‐induced PL shift is strongly affected by the change in carrier dynamics with increasing temperature. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Performance Improvement of GaN-Based Violet Laser Diodes

The influences of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells(MQWs) and AlGaN electron-blocking layers(EBL) on the performance of GaN-based violet laser diodes are investigated. Compared with the InGaN/GaN MQWs grown at two different temperatures, the same-temperature growth of InGaN well and GaN barrier layers has a positive effect on the threshold current and slope efficiency of laser diodes, indicating that the quality of MQWs is improved. In addition, the performance of GaN laser diodes could be further improved by increasing Al content in the AlGaN EBL due to the fact that the electron leakage current could be reduced by properly increasing the barrier height of AlGaN EBL. The violet laser diode with a peak output power of 20 W is obtained.     

利用选择性外延法生长单芯片双波长白光InGaN/GaN多量子阱结构

为了制备单芯片无荧光粉白光InGaN/GaN多量子阱发光结构,利用选择性外延生长法在SiO2条纹掩膜板上生长出具有梯形形貌的GaN微面结构,并在该GaN微面结构上生长InGaN/GaN多量子阱结构,最终在单芯片上获得了双波长发光.结果表明:梯形GaN微面由(0001)和(11-22)面组成,两者的表面能和极性不同,并且在InGaN/GaN多量子阱生长过程中,In原子和Ga原子迁移速率不同,从而使得(0001)和(11-22)面上的多量子阱具有不同的发光波长;该性质可以使(11-22)面的微面量子阱发出蓝光(峰值波长为420nm),而(0001)面的量子阱发出黄光(峰值波长为525nm),最终形成双波长的复合白光外延结构.     

InGaN/GaN多量子阱的组分确定和晶格常数计算

采用金属有机化学气相沉积(MOCVD)技术以蓝宝石为衬底在n型GaN单晶层上生长了InGaN/GaN多量子阱结构外延薄膜，利用高分辨X射线衍射(HRXRD)，卢瑟福背散射/沟道(RBS/channeling)，以及光致发光(PL)技术对InGaN/GaN多量子阱结构薄膜分别进行了平均晶格常数计算、In原子替位率计算和In组分的定量分析.研究表明：InGaN/GaN多量子阱的水平和垂直方向平均晶格常数分别为a_epi=0.3195nm，c_epi=0.5198nm，In原子的替位率为99.3%，利用HRXRD和RBS/channeling两种分析技术计算In的组分分别是0.023和0.026，并与样品生长时设定的预期目标相符合，验证了两种实验方法的准确性；而用室温条件下的光致发光谱(PL)来计算InGaN/GaN多量子阱中In的组分是与HRXRD和RBS/channeling的实验结果相差很大，说明用PL测试In组分的方法是不适宜的. 关键词： InGaN/GaN多量子阱 高分辨X射线衍射 卢瑟福背散射/沟道 光致发光     

局域表面等离激元对InGaN/GaN多量子阱发光效率的影响

Ag纳米粒子的形貌对InGaN/Ga N多量子阱(MQWs)的光致发光(PL)效率有着显著影响。本文采用离子束沉积(IBD)技术将Ag沉积在InGaN/Ga N MQWs上,然后通过快速热退火处理制备Ag纳米粒子。通过改变Ag的沉积时间获得了具有不同Ag纳米粒子形貌的样品。用原子力显微镜对各样品的Ag纳米粒子形貌和尺寸进行了表征,并且测试了吸收谱、室温和变温PL谱及时间分辨光致发光(TRPL)谱。结果表明:随着Ag沉积时间的延长,所得Ag纳米粒子粒径增大,粒子纵横比先增大后减小且吸收谱峰红移。由于不同形貌的Ag纳米粒子在入射光作用下产生的局域表面等离激元(LSPs)与MQWs中激子耦合强度不同,光发射能力也不同,与没有Ag纳米粒子的样品相比,沉积时间为15 s的样品室温PL积分强度被抑制6.74倍,沉积时间为25 s和35 s的样品室温PL积分强度分别增强1.55和1.72倍且峰位发生红移,沉积时间为45 s的样品室温PL积分强度基本没有变化。TRPL与变温PL的测试结果证明,室温PL积分强度的改变是由于LSPs与MQWs中的激子耦合作用引起的。纵横比大且吸收谱与MQWs的PL谱交叠大的Ag纳米粒子能够更好地增强InGaN/Ga N MQWs的发光。     

Transport mechanism of reverse surface leakage current in AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistor with SiN passivation

The transport mechanism of reverse surface leakage current in the AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistor(HEMT) becomes one of the most important reliability issues with the downscaling of feature size.In this paper,the research results show that the reverse surface leakage current in AlGaN/GaN HEMT with SiN passivation increases with the enhancement of temperature in the range from 298 K to 423 K.Three possible transport mechanisms are proposed and examined to explain the generation of reverse surface leakage current.By comparing the experimental data with the numerical transport models,it is found that neither Fowler-Nordheim tunneling nor Frenkel-Poole emission can describe the transport of reverse surface leakage current.However,good agreement is found between the experimental data and the two-dimensional variable range hopping(2D-VRH) model.Therefore,it is concluded that the reverse surface leakage current is dominated by the electron hopping through the surface states at the barrier layer.Moreover,the activation energy of surface leakage current is extracted,which is around 0.083 eV.Finally,the SiN passivated HEMT with a high Al composition and a thin AlGaN barrier layer is also studied.It is observed that 2D-VRH still dominates the reverse surface leakage current and the activation energy is around 0.10 eV,which demonstrates that the alteration of the AlGaN barrier layer does not affect the transport mechanism of reverse surface leakage current in this paper.     

Optical properties of GaN/AlN multiple quantum wells

Optical properties of GaN/AlN multiple quantum wells (MQW) have been investigated by Raman scattering, photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation measurements. A careful examination of the Raman spectrum reveals the fact that the constituent layers of GaN/AlN MQWs are well strained. The experimental results of emission and absorption in MQWs were compared with the calculated solutions of the finite quantum well and the bound states involved in the optical transitions were identified. It is found that the interband transitions up to n=3 bound state can be observed in the strained GaN/AlN MQWs sample. The temperature dependence of the heavy-hole transitions shows an interesting phenomenon, in which the peak energy first increases with increasing temperature and then decreases with the temperature rapidly. The observation can be explained in a consistent way by the strain effects of lattice mismatch due to the interplay between the thermal expansion of GaN and AlN layers. Our results indicate that pseudomorphic GaN/AlN MQWs with good quality can be readily grown, and their applications in optoelectronics can be expected in the near future.     

In源流量与Ⅲ族流量之比对InGaN/GaN多量子阱性质的影响

利用x射线三轴晶衍射和光致发光谱研究了生长参数In源流量与Ⅲ族流量之比对InGaN/GaN多量子阱结构缺陷(如位错密度和界面粗糙度)和光致发光的影响.通过对（0002）对称和（1012）非对称联动扫描的每一个卫星峰的ω扫描，分别测量出了多量子阱的螺位错和刃位错平均密度，而界面粗糙度则由（0002）对称衍射的卫星峰半高全宽随级数的变化得出.试验发现多量子阱中的位错密度特别是刃位错密度和界面粗糙度随In源流量与Ⅲ族源流量比值的增加而增加，导致室温下光致发光性质的降低，从而也证明了刃位错在InGaN/GaN 关键词： x射线三轴晶衍射 界面粗糙度 位错 InGaN/GaN多量子阱     

Near-field optical characterization of GaN and InxGa1−xN/GaN heterostructures grown on freestanding GaN substrates

Using near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM), we report the spatial distribution of photoluminescence (PL) intensity in III-nitride-based semiconductor layers grown on GaN substrates. Undoped GaN, In_0.11Ga_0.89N, and In_0.13Ga_0.87N/GaN multi-quantum wells (MQWs) were grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on freestanding GaN substrates. Micro-Raman spectroscopy has been used to evaluate the crystalline properties of the GaN homoepitaxial layers. The variation of the PL intensity from the NSOM imaging indicates that the external PL efficiency fluctuates from 20% to 40% in the 200 nm InGaN single layer on freestanding GaN, whereas it fluctuates from 20% to 60% in InGaN/GaN MQWs. In the NSOM-PL images, bright island-like features are observed. After deconvolution with the spatial resolution of the NSOM, the size of these features is estimated to be in the range of 150–250 nm.     

纳米折叠InGaN/GaN LED材料生长及器件特性

在以自组织Ni纳米岛为掩膜制作的n-GaN纳米柱上,利用MOCVD方法外延生长了具有折叠InGaN/GaN多量子阱(MQW)的LED结构外延片,进而制作了LED器件.外延片上中下游的光致荧光测试,结果表明外延片具有很好的均匀性.用该外延片制作的LED的电致发光谱,随注入电流增加没有明显蓝移,这表明纳米结构能更好地释放应力,纳米柱上外延生长的多量子阱,具有较低的压电极化电场.正向工作电流20 mA时,LED器件的工作电压为4.6 V. 关键词： 纳米柱LED 光致发光 电致发光     

Enhanced deep ultraviolet emission from Si-doped AlxGa1-xN/AlN MQWs

Undoped and Si-doped AlGaN/AlN multiple quantum wells(MQWs) were grown on AlN/Sapphire templates by metalorganic phase vapor epitaxy.High-resolution x-ray diffraction measurements showed the high interface quality of the MQWs little affected by Si-doping.Room-temperature(RT) cathodoluminescence measurements demonstrated a significant enhancement of the RT deep ultraviolet emission at about 240 nm from the AlGaN/AlN MQWs by Si doping.The mechanism of the improved emission efficiency was that the Si-doping partially screens the internal electric field and thus leads to the increase of the overlap between electron and hole wavefunctions.Further theoretical simulation also supports the above results.     

Observation of large Zeeman splitting in GaGdN/AlGaN ferromagnetic semiconductor double quantum well superlattices

Symmetric GaGdN/AlGaN (Gd concentration: 2%) and GaN/AlGaN double quantum well superlattices (DQW-SLs) were grown by radio-frequency plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy on GaN (0001) templates. Atomic steps were observed on all the sample surfaces by atomic force microscope. X-ray diffraction θ/2θ scan curves exhibited well-defined satellite structures. Room temperature ferromagnetism was confirmed for the GaGdN/AlGaN DQW-SL samples by using alternating gradient magnetometer. Strong photoluminescence was observed from both GaGdN and GaN QWs at higher energy side of GaN excitonic peak. Magneto-photoluminescence spectra for GaGdN/AlGaN DQW-SL samples showed a large magnetic field dependence of the excitonic energy by applying a magnetic field up to 7 T. The observed strong redshift of excitonic PL indicated an enhancement of Zeeman splitting of the free carrier energy levels in magnetic GaGdN/AlGaN DQW-SL. Enhanced g-factor was estimated to be about 60 for GaGdN/AlGaN DQW-SL sample with QW thickness of 1 nm.     

Influence of growth parameters on the properties of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

The effects of growth parameters such as barrier growth time, growth pressure and indium flow rate on the properties of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) were investigated by using photoluminescence (PL), high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), and atomic force microscope (AFM). The InGaN/GaN MQW structures were grown on c-plane sapphire substrate by using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. With increasing barrier growth time, the PL peak energy is blue-shifted by 18 nm. For InGaN/GaN MQW structures grown at different growth pressures, the PL intensity is maximized in the 300 Torr – grown structure, which could be attributed to the improved structural quality confirmed by HRXRD and AFM results. Also, the optical properties of InGaN/GaN MQW are strongly affected by the indium flow rate.     

Effects of strain-compensated AlGaN/InGaN superlattice barriers on the optical properties of InGaN light-emitting diodes

In this article, metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD)-grown InGaN multiple-quantum-well (MQW) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with Al_0.03Ga_0.97N and Al_0.03Ga_0.97N/In_0.01Ga_0.99N superlattices-barrier layers on c-plane sapphire were studied for the influence of the strain-compensated barrier on the optical properties of the LEDs. High-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) analysis shows that the LEDs with a strain-compensated superlattice barrier (SC-SLB) have better interface quality than those using AlGaN. This difference in quality may result from the alleviation of strain relaxation in superlattice layers to improve the crystalline perfection of the epitaxial structures. It was also found that the degree of the exciton localization effect rises considerably as InGaN grows directly on the AlGaN barrier layers. However, the increase in the strength of the polarization fields within the MQWs (as evaluated from bias-dependent photoluminescence (PL) measurement) could reduce the radiative efficiency of the LEDs and shift their PL peaks toward long wavelengths. With suitable control of crystalline quality and the reduced quantum-confined Stark effect in the MQWs, the SC-SLB LEDs operating at 150-mA-current show a 22.3% increase in light output power as compared to their conventional counterparts.     

High field transport properties in a GaN/AlGaN heterostructure

The drift velocity, electron temperature, electron energy and momentum loss rates of a two-dimensional electron gas are calculated in a GaN/AlGaN heterojunction (HJ) at high electric fields employing the energy and momentum balance technique, assuming the drifted Fermi–Dirac (F–D) distribution function for electrons. Besides the conventional scattering mechanisms, roughness induced new scattering mechanisms such as misfit piezoelectric and misfit deformation potential scatterings are considered in momentum relaxation. Energy loss rates due to acoustic phonons and polar optical phonon scattering with hot phonon effect are considered. The calculated drift velocity, electron temperature and energy loss rate are compared with the experimental data and a good agreement is obtained. The hot phonon effect is found to reduce the drift velocity, energy and momentum loss rates, whereas it enhances the electron temperature. Also the effect of using drifted F–D distribution, due to high carrier density in GaN/AlGaN HJs, contrary to the drifted Maxwellian distribution function used in the earlier calculations, is brought out.