Properties of InGaN/GaN quantum wells and blue light emitting diodes

We have reported the effects of growth interruption time on the optical and structural properties of high indium content In_xGa_1−xN/GaN (x>0.2) multilayer quantum wells (QWs). The InGaN/GaN QWs were grown on c-plane sapphire by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The interruption was carried out by closing the group-III metal organic sources before and after the growth of the InGaN QW layers. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that with increasing interruption time, the quantum-dot-like region and well thickness decreases due to indium reevaporation or the thermal etching effect. As a result the photoluminescence (PL) peak position was blue-shifted and the intensity was reduced. The sizes and number of V-defects did not differ with the interruption time. The interruption time is not directly related to the formation of defects. The V-defect originates at threading dislocations and inversion domain boundaries due to higher misfit strain. Temperature dependent PL spectra support the results of TEM measurements. Also, the electroluminescence spectra of light-emitting diode show that dominant mechanism in InGaN/GaN QWs is a localized effect in the quantum-dot-like regions.     

Photoluminescence properties of blue and green multiple InGaN/GaN quantum wells

The photoluminescence(PL) properties of blue multiple InGaN/GaN quantum well(BMQW) and green multiple InGaN/GaN quantum well(GMQW) formed on a single sapphire substrate are investigated. The results indicate that the peak energy of GMQW-related emission(PG) exhibits more significant "S-shaped" dependence on temperature than that of BMQW-related emission(PB), and the excitation power-dependent carrier-scattering effect is observed only in the PG emission; the excitation power-dependent total blue-shift(narrowing) of peak position(line-width) for the PGemission is more significant than that for the PBemission; the GMQW shows a lower internal quantum efficiency than the BMQW. All of these results can be attributed to the fact that the GMQW has higher indium content than the BMQW due to its lower growth temperature and late growth, and the higher indium content in the GMQW induces a more significant compositional fluctuation, a stronger quantum confined Stark effect, and more non-radiative centers.     

Influence of barrier thickness on the structural and optical properties of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells

The structural and optical properties of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells(MQWs) with different barrier thicknesses are studied by means of high resolution X-ray diffraction(HRXRD), a cross-sectional transmission electron microscope(TEM), and temperature-dependent photoluminescence(PL) measurements. HRXRD and cross-sectional TEM measurements show that the interfaces between wells and barriers are abrupt and the entire MQW region has good periodicity for all three samples. As the barrier thickness is increased, the temperature of the turning point from blueshift to redshift of the S-shaped temperature-dependent PL peak energy increases monotonously, which indicates that the localization potentials due to In-rich clusters is deeper. From the Arrhenius plot of the normalized integrated PL intensity, it is found that there are two kinds of nonradiative recombination processes accounting for the thermal quenching of photoluminescence,and the corresponding activation energy(or the localization potential) increases with the increase of the barrier thickness.The dependence on barrier thickness is attributed to the redistribution of In-rich clusters during the growth of barrier layers,i.e., clusters with lower In contents aggregate into clusters with higher In contents.     

Excitonic optical absorption in wurtzite InGaN/GaN quantum wells

Within the framework of the effective-mass and envelope function theory, exciton states and optical properties in wurtzite (WZ) InGaN/GaN quantum wells (QWs) are investigated theoretically considering the built-in electric field effects. Numerical results show that the built-in electric field, well width and in composition have obvious influences on exciton states and optical properties in WZ InGaN/GaN QWs. The built-in electric field caused by polarizations leads to a remarkable reduction of the ground-state exciton binding energy, the interband transition energy and the integrated absorption probability in WZ InGaN/GaN QWs with any well width and In composition. In particular, the integrated absorption probability is zero in WZ InGaN/GaN QWs with any In composition and well width L > 4 nm. In addition, the competition effects between quantum confinement and the built-in electric field (between quantum size and the built-in electric field) on exciton states and optical properties have also been investigated.     

InGaN/GaN多量子阱蓝色发光二极管的实验与模拟分析

分别采用量子阱模型和量子点模型对蓝色InGaN/GaN多量子阱发光二极管电学和光学特性进行模拟,并和实验测量结果进行了比对,结果发现,量子点模型的引入,很好地解决了I-V和电致发光二方面的实验与理论模型间符合程度不好的问题.同时,在I-V曲线特性模拟中发现,在量子点理论模型的基础上,只有考虑到载流子的非平衡量子传输效应,才能得到和实验相接近的I-V曲线,揭示着在InGaN/GaN 多量子阱发光二极管电输运特性中,载流子的非 关键词： InGaN/GaN 发光二极管 数值模拟 量子点模型     

垒掺In提高InGaN/GaN多量子阱发光特性

利用金属有机物化学气相淀积技术在蓝宝石衬底上生长InGaN/GaN多量子阱结构.对多量子阱垒层掺In和非掺In进行了比较研究，结果表明，垒掺In 的样品界面质量变差，但明显增加了光致发光谱的峰值强度和积分强度，带边峰与黄光峰强度之比增大，降低了表面粗糙度.利用这两种结构制备了相应的发光二极管(LED)样品.通过电荧光测量可知，垒掺In的LED比非掺In的LED有较高的发光强度和相对均匀的波长，这主要是由于垒掺In后降低了阱与垒之间晶格失配的应力，从而降低了极化电场，提高了辐射复合效率. 关键词： InGaN/GaN多量子阱 X射线双晶衍射 原子力显微镜 光致发光     

Analysis of localization effect in blue-violet light emitting InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells with different well widths

Four blue-violet light emitting InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well(MQW) structures with different well widths are grown by metal–organic chemical vapor deposition. The carrier localization effect in these samples is investigated mainly by temperature-dependent photoluminescence measurements. It is found that the localization effect is enhanced as the well width increases from 1.8 nm to 3.6 nm in our experiments. The temperature induced PL peak blueshift and linewidth variation increase with increasing well width, implying that a greater amplitude of potential fluctuation as well as more localization states exist in wider wells. In addition, it is noted that the broadening of the PL spectra always occurs mainly on the low-energy side of the PL spectra due to the temperature-induced band-gap shrinkage, while in the case of the widest well, a large extension of the spectral curve also occurs in the high energy sides due to the existence of more shallow localized centers.     

Advantages of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well solar cells with stepped-thickness quantum wells

InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) solar cells with stepped-thickness quantum wells (SQW) are designed and grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The stepped-thickness quantum wells structure, in which the well thickness becomes smaller and smaller along the growth direction, reveals better crystalline quality and better spectral overlap with the solar spectrum. Consequently, the short-circuit current density (Jsc) and conversion efficiency of the solar cell are enhanced by 27.12% and 56.41% compared with the conventional structure under illumination of AM1.5G (100 mW/cm2). In addition, approaches to further promote the performance of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well solar cells are discussed and presented.     

Investigation of electron energy states in InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells

Blue light emitting diodes (LED) consisting of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) have been grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on sapphire. The width of the quantum wells (InGaN) was maintained in the range of 3–5 nm with a barrier of 10–15 nm of GaN. Various diagnostic techniques were employed for the characterization of the InGaN/GaN heterostructure. Carrier concentration depth profile from C–V measurements demonstrated the presence of MQWs. The higher value of built-in voltage (15 V) determined from C⁻²–V plot also supported the presence of MQWs as assumed to alter the space-charge region width and hence the intercept voltage. Arrhenius plots due to DLTS spectra from the device revealed at least four energy states (eV) 0.1, 0.12, 0.15 and 0.17, respectively in the quantum wells, with respect to the barrier. Further the photoluminescence spectrum showed an InGaN-based broad band centered at 2.9 eV and the GaN peak at 3.4 eV. A comparison of the PL spectrum with the literature helped to estimate the indium content in the QW (InGaN) and its width to be ∼13% and ∼3 nm, respectively. The results were consistent with the DLTS findings.     

Growth and characterization of InGaN nanodots hybrid with InGaN/GaN quantum wells

Uniform InGaN nanodots were successfully grown on SiO₂ pretreated GaN surface. It was found that the InGaN nanodots were 20?nm in diameter and 5?nm in height, approximately. After the growth of two periods of InGaN/GaN quantum wells on the surface of InGaN nanodots, nanodot structure still formed in the InGaN well layer caused by the enhanced phase separation phenomenon. Dual-color emissions with different behavior were observed from photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of InGaN nanodots hybrid with InGaN/GaN quantum wells. A significant blueshift and a linewidth broadening were measured for the low-energy peak as the increase of PL excitation power, while a slight blueshift and a linewidth narrowing occurred for the high-energy peak. Accordingly, these two peaks were assigned to be from the In-rich nanodots and quantized state transition from the InGaN/GaN quantum wells with indium content, respectively.     

Effects of a prestrained InGaN interlayer on the emission properties of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells in a laser diode structure

The electroluminescence (EL) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) with a prestrained InGaN interlayer in a laser diode structure are investigated. When the injection current increases from 5 mA to 50 mA, the blueshift of the EL emission peak is 1 meV for the prestrained sample and 23 meV for a control sample with the conventional structure. Also, the internal quantum efficiency and the EL intensity at the injection current of 20 mA are increased by 71% and 65% respectively by inserting the prestrained InGaN interlayer. The reduced blueshift and the enhanced emission are attributed mainly to the reduced quantum-confined Stark effect (QCSE) in the prestrained sample. Such attributions are supported by the theoretical simulation results, which reveal the smaller piezoelectric field and the enhanced overlap of electron and hole wave functions in the prestrained sample. Therefore, the prestrained InGaN interlayer contributes to strain relaxation in the MQW layer and enhancement of light emission due to the reduction of QCSE.     

Efficiency enhancement of InGaN based blue light emitting diodes with InGaN/GaN multilayer barriers

The advantages of InGaN based light-emitting diodes with InGaN/GaN multilayer barriers are studied.It is found that the structure with InGaN/GaN multilayer barriers shows improved light output power,lower current leakage,and less efficiency droop over its conventional InGaN/GaN counterparts.Based on the numerical simulation and analysis,these improvements on the electrical and the optical characteristics are mainly attributed to the alleviation of the electrostatic field in the quantum wells(QWs) when the InGaN/GaN multilayer barriers are used.     

Enhancement of light-emission efficiency of ultraviolet InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well light emitting diode with InGaN underlying layer

Two ultraviolet InGaN/GaN light emitting diodes (LEDs) with and without InGaN underlying layer beneath the multiple quantum wells (MQWs) were grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy. Based on the photoluminescence excitation measurements, it was found that the Stokes shift of the sample with a 10-nm-thick In_0.1Ga_0.9N underlying layer was about 64 meV, which was smaller than that of the reference sample without InGaN underlying layer, indicating a reduced quantum-confined Stark effect (QCSE) due to the decrease of the piezoelectric polarization field in the MQWs. In addition, by fitting the photon energy dependence of carrier lifetime values, the radiative recombination lifetime of the sample with and without InGaN underlying layer were obtained about 1.22 and 1.58 ns at 10?K, respectively. The shorter carrier lifetime also confirmed that the QCSE in the MQWs was weakened after inserting the InGaN underlying layer. In addition, although the depth of carrier localization in the sample with InGaN underlying layer became smaller, the nonradiative recombination centers (NRCs) inside it decreased, and thus suppressed the nonradiative recombination process significantly according to the electroluminescence measurement results. Compared to the reference sample, the efficiency droop behavior was delayed in the sample with InGaN underlying layer and the droop effect was also effectively alleviated. Therefore, the enhanced light-emission efficiency of ultraviolet InGaN/GaN MQW LEDs could be attributed to the decrease of QCSE and NRCs.     

Interface characterization and indium content of indium-rich quantum dots in InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells

We report on the interface characterization of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells with indium aggregation grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The interface related microstructure was analyzed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution X-ray diffraction and high angle annular dark field. Luminescence measurements were carried out by micro-photoluminescence measurement. In addition, quantitative determination of the indium concentration inside the ultra-small dots was attempted. We demonstrate that the quantum dots are coherent and the interfaces remain sharp. The In content inside ∼2 nm InGaN dots is about 65% determined by spectrum imaging in energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy combined with multiple linear least squares fitting, which is slighter higher than the value obtained either from HRTEM or theoretical calculations. This discrepancy is briefly discussed but demands further studies for complete understanding.     

Effects of InGaN barriers with low indium content on internal quantum efficiency of blue InGaN multiple quantum wells

Blue In_0.2Ga_0.8N multiple quantum wells (MQWs) with In_xGa_{1 - x}N (x=0.01-0.04) barriers are grown by metal organic vapour phase epitaxy. The internal quantum efficiencies (IQEs) of these MQWs are studied in a way of temperature-dependent photoluminescence spectra. Furthermore, a 2-channel Arrhenius model is used to analyse the nonradiative recombination centres (NRCs). It is found that by adopting the InGaN barrier beneath the lowest well, it is possible to reduce the strain hence the NRCs in InGaN MQWs. By optimizing the thickness and the indium content of the InGaN barriers, the IQEs of InGaN/InGaN MQWs can be increased by about 2.5 times compared with conventional InGaN/GaN MQWs. On the other hand, the incorporation of indium atoms into the intermediate barriers between adjacent wells does not improve IQE obviously. In addition, the indium content of the intermediate barriers should match with that of the lowest barrier to avoid relaxation.     

The quasi-confined optical phonons in wurtzite GaN/AlN multiple quantum wells

Within the framework of the dielectric-continuum model and Loudon's uniaxial crystal model, the equation of motion for p-polarization field in arbitrary wurtzite multilayer heterostructures are solved for the quasi-confined phonon (QC) modes. The polarization eigenvector, the dispersion relation, and the electron-QC interaction Fröhlich-like Hamiltonian are derived by using the transfer-matrix method. The dispersion relations and the electron-QC coupling strength are investigated for a wurtzite GaN/AlN single QW. The results show that there are infinite branches of dispersion curve with definite symmetry with respect to the center of the QW structure. The confinement of the quasi-confined phonons in the QW leads to a quantization of q_z,j characterized by an integer m that defines the order of corresponding quasi-confined modes. The QC modes are more dispersive for decreasing m. The QC modes display an interface behavior in the barrier and a confined behavior in the well. The symmetric modes have more contribution to electron-QC interaction than the antisymmetric modes. The strains have more effect on symmetry modes, and can be ignored for symmetry modes.     

Fabrication and optical properties of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well light emitting diodes with amorphous BaTiO3 ferroelectric film

BaTiO3 （BTO） ferroelectric thin films are prepared by the sol,el method. The fabrication and the optical properties of an InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well light emitting diode （LED） with amorphous BTO ferroelectric thin film are studied. The photolumineseence （PL） of the BTO ferroelectric film is attributed to the structure. The ferroeleetric film which annealed at 673 K for 8 h has the better PL property. The peak width is about 30 nm from 580 nm to 610 nm, towards the yellow region. The mixed electroluminescence （EL） spectrum of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well LED with 150-nm thick amorphous BTO ferroelectric thin film displays the blue-white light. The Commission Internationale De L＇Eclairage （CIE） coordinate of EL is （0.2139, 0.1627）. EL wavelength and intensity depends on the composition, microstructure and thickness of the ferroelectric thin film. The transmittance of amorphous BTO thin film is about 93% at a wavelength of 450 nm-470 nm. This means the amorphous ferroelectrie thin films can output more blue-ray and emission lights. In addition, the amorphous ferroelectric thin films can be directly fabricated without a binder and used at higher temperatures （200 ℃-400 ℃）. It is very favourable to simplify the preparation process and reduce the heat dissipation requirements of an LED. This provides a new way to study LEDs.     

Influence of injection current and temperature on electroluminescence in InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells

Electroluminescence (EL) spectra of blue InGaN/GaN multiple-quantum-well light-emitting diode (LED) have been investigated over a wide range of injection current (0.001–200 mA) and at various temperatures (6–300 K). Surprisingly, with increasing the injection current the EL peak energy shows an initial blueshift accompanied by a broadening of the EL linewidth at low temperatures (below 30 K). This trend differs from the usual photoluminescence (PL) measurement results, which have shown that with increasing the optical excitation power the PL peak energy gave an initial blueshift accompanied by a narrowing of the PL linewidth at low temperatures. The anomalous current behavior of the EL spectra may be attributed to electron leakage results in the failure of Coulomb screening effect and the relative enhancement of the low-energetic localized state filling at low temperatures and low currents. The electron leakage for the LED is further confirmed by both the current dependence of the EL intensity and the temperature dependence of the EL efficiency.     

Efficiency droop alleviation in blue light emitting diodes using the InGaN/GaN triangular-shaped quantum well

The InGaN/GaN blue light emitting diode(LED) is numerically investigated using a triangular-shaped quantum well model,which involves analysis on its energy band,carrier concentration,overlap of electron and hole wave functions,radiative recombination rate,and internal quantum efficiency.The simulation results reveal that the InGaN/GaN blue light emitting diode with triangular quantum wells exhibits a higher radiative recombination rate than the conventional light emitting diode with rectangular quantum wells due to the enhanced overlap of electron and hole wave functions(above 90%) under the polarization field.Consequently,the efficiency droop is only 18% in the light emitting diode with triangular-shaped quantum wells,which is three times lower than that in a conventional LED.