Strain relaxation and optical properties of etched In_0.19Ga_0.81 N nanorod arrays on the GaN template

InGaN/GaN epilayers,which are grown on sapphire substrates by the metal-organic chemical-vapour deposition(MOCVD) method,are formed into nanorod arrays using inductively coupled plasma etching via self-assembled Ni nanomasks.The formation of nanorod arrays eliminates the tilt of the InGaN(0002) crystallographic plane with respect to its GaN bulk layer.Photoluminescence results show an apparent S-shaped dependence on temperature.The light extraction efficiency and intensity of photoluminescence emission at low temperature of less than 30 K for the nanorod arrays are enhanced by the large surface area,which increases the quenching effect because of the high density of surface states for the temperature above 30 K.Additionally,a red-shift for the InGaN/GaN nanorod arrays is observed due to the strain relaxation,which is confirmed by reciprocal space mapping measurements.     

Study of the formation of InGaN quantum dots on GaN surface

The effect of growth temperature on the surface morphology of InGaN layers with quantum dots (QDs) on GaN surface has been studied. The optimal conditions for formation of a dense uniform InGaN/GaN QD array with lateral sizes of 20–30 nm, which is characterized by long-wavelength photoluminescence in the range of 420–470 nm, are found.     

Effect of Nanorod Diameters on Optical Properties of GaN-Based Dual-Color Nanorod Arrays

Dual-color(blue and green) InGaN/GaN nanorod light-emitting diodes(LEDs) with three different nanorod diameters are fabricated. Enhancement of luminescence intensity per area is observed in blue and green wells,to varying degrees. When the diameter is 40 nm, it sharply decreases, which could be explained by the sidewall nonradiative recombination. Time-resolved photoluminescence is conducted to study the carrier lifetime. High recombination rate is observed in nanorod arrays, and is an order of magnitude less than that of the planar LED.When the diameter is 40 nm, the nonradiative lifetime decreases, and this explains the decrease of intensity. The3 D-FDTD simulations show the enhancement of light extraction out of geometry structure by calculating the transmittance of the nanorod arrays.     

Anomalous disorder-related phenomena in InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well heterosystems

The influences of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) heterostructures with InGaN/GaN and GaN barriers on carrier confinement were investigated. The degree of disordering over a broad range of temperatures from 20 to 300 K was considered. The optical and electrical properties were strongly influenced by structural and compositional disordering of the InGaN/GaN MQW heterostructures. To compare the degree of disordering we examined the temperature dependence of the luminescence spectra and electrical conductance contingent on the Berthelot-type mechanisms in the InGaN/GaN MQW heterostructures. We further considered carrier transport in the InGaN/GaN disordered systems, probability of carrier tunneling, and activation energy of the transport mechanism for devices with InGaN/GaN and GaN barriers. The optical properties of InGaN/GaN disordered heterosystems can be interpreted from the features of the absorption spectra. The anomalous temperature-dependent characteristics of the disordered InGaN/GaN MQW structures were attributable to the enhancement of the exciton confinement.     

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.     

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     

Influence of polar surface properties on InGaN/GaN core-shell nanorod LED properties

InGaN/GaN nanorod core-shell LEDs have shown to be very promising candidates for high efficiency lighting devices. Such nanorods can be grown in different ways, leading to different device geometry and in particular to different structures near the polar Ga- and N-face nanorod surfaces. In this work the influence of the properties of the polar surfaces on the electrical device behaviour is studied qualitatively based on a semiclassical simulation model.     

The effect of junction temperature on the optoelectrical properties of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well light-emitting diodes

Thermal effects on the optoelectrical characteristics of green InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been investigated in detail for a broad temperature range, from 30 °C to 100 °C. The current-dependent electroluminescence (EL) spectra, current–voltage (I–V) curves and luminescence intensity–current (L–I) characteristics of green InGaN/GaN MQW LEDs have been measured to characterize the thermal-related effects on the optoelectrical properties of the InGaN/GaN MQW LEDs. The experimental results show that both the forward voltages decreased with a slope of ?3.7 mV/K and the emission peak wavelength increased with a slope of +0.02 nm/K with increasing temperature, indicating a change in the contact resistance between the metal and GaN layers and the existence of a band gap shrinkage effect. The junction temperature estimated from the forward voltage and the emission peak shift varied from 25.6 to 14.5 °C and from 22.4 to 35.6 °C, respectively. At the same time, the carrier temperature decreased from 371.2 to 348.1 °C as estimated from the slope of high-energy side of the emission spectra. With increasing injection current, there was found to be a strong current-dependent blueshift of ?0.15 nm/mA in the emission peak wavelength of the EL spectra. This could be attributed to not only the stronger band-filling effect but also the enhanced quantum confinement effect that resulted from the piezoelectric polarization and spontaneous polarization in InGaN/GaN heterostructures. We also demonstrate a helpful and easy way to measure and calculate the junction temperature of InGaN/GaN MQW LEDs.     

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.     

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.     

具有超晶格应力调制结构的绿光InGaN/GaN多量子阱的发光特性

研究了具有InGaN/GaN超晶格(SL)插入结构的绿光InGaN/GaN多量子阱(MQW)的发光特性。结构测试表明,SL插入结构并没有引起MQW中平均In组份的增加,而是改变了In组份的分布,形成了高In组份的量子点和低In组份量子阱。其电致发光(EL)谱和光致发光(PL)谱均出现了双发光峰。我们认为这两个 峰分别来自于量子点和量子阱,且存在着载流子从阱向点转移的输运机制。最后变温PL积分强度的Arrhenius 拟合表明,SL插入结构并没有在MQW中引入新的缺陷,使其发光效率下降。     

The enhancement of light-emitting efficiency using GaN-based multiple quantum well light-emitting diodes with nanopillar arrays

The quest for higher modulation speed and lower energy consumption has inevitably promoted the rapid development of semiconductor-based solid lighting devices in recent years. GaN-based light-emitting diodes （LEDs） have emerged as promising candidates for achieving high efficiency and high intensity, and have received increasing attention among many researchers in this field. In this paper, we use a self-assembled array-patterned mask to fabricate InGaN/GaN multi- quantum well （MQW） LEDs with the intention of enhancing the light-emitting efficiency. By utilizing inductively coupled plasma etching with a self-assembled Ni cluster as the mask, nanopillar arrays are formed on the surface of the InGaN/GaN MQWs. We then observe the structure of the nanopillars and find that the V-defects on the surface of the conventional structure and the negative effects of threading dislocation are effectively reduced. Simultaneously, we make a comparison of the photoluminescence （PL） spectrum between the conventional structure and the nanopillar arrays, achieved under an experimental set-up with an excitation wavelength of 325 mm. The analysis demonstrates that MQW-LEDs with nanopillar arrays achieve a PL intensity 2.7 times that of conventional LEDs. In response to the PL spectrum, some reasons are proposed for the enhancement in the light-emitting efficiency as follows： 1） the improvement in crystal quality, namely the reduction in V-defects; 2） the roughened surface effect on the expansion of the critical angle and the attenuated total reflection; and 3） the enhancement of the light-extraction efficiency due to forward scattering by surface plasmon polariton modes in Ni particles deposited above the p-type GaN layer at the top of the nanopillars.     

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.     

Influence of the magnetic field and measurement temperature on the shape of microphotoluminescence spectra of Eu-Doped InGaN/GaN quantum-well structures

Based on the results of complex investigations of the influence of the magnetic field strength and measurement temperature on the shape of microphotoluminescence (micro-PL) spectra of Eu-doped InGaN/GaN quantum-well structures, the determination of the charge state of Eu impurity ions, and the change in the concentration of dopant ions, it has been shown that an increase in the magnetic field strength (0–5 T) leads to a more significant decrease in the luminescence intensity as compared to the undoped structures. An increase in the measurement temperature from 4.2 to 78 K results in an enhancement of the effect of the magnetic field on the shape of the micro-PL spectra of Eu-doped InGaN/GaN structures. It has been demonstrated that the doping of InGaN/GaN quantum-well structures with europium at a high excitation level leads to a shift in the maximum of the luminescence intensity toward the long-wavelength range of the spectrum.     

引入n型InGaN/GaN超晶格层提高量子阱特性研究

利用金属有机物化学气相淀积技术在蓝宝石衬底上生长了InGaN/GaN量子阱结构. 研究了引入n型InGaN薄层或InGaN/GaN超晶格层的量子阱特性,结果表明通过引入n型InGaN薄层或InGaN/GaN超晶格层缓解了量子阱有源区中的应力,改善了多量子阱表面形貌,减少了V型缺陷密度,而且提高了多量子阱的光致发光强度,从而也改进了LED的发光效率. 关键词： InGaN/GaN多量子阱 原子力显微镜 X射线双晶衍射 光致发光     

Two dimensional electron gas in a hybrid GaN/InGaN/ZnO heterostructure with ultrathin InGaN channel layer

We investigated the influence of an ultrathin InGaN channel layer on two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) properties in a newly proposed hybrid GaN/In_xGa_1−xN/ZnO heterostructure using numerical methods. We found that 2DEG carriers were confined at InGaN/ZnO and GaN/InGaN interfaces. Our calculations show that the probability densities of 2DEG carriers at these interfaces are highly influenced by the In mole fraction of the InGaN channel layer. Therefore, 2DEG carrier confinement can be adjustable by using the In mole fraction of the InGaN channel layer. The influence of an ultrathin InGaN channel layer on 2DEG carrier mobility is also discussed. Usage of an ultrathin InGaN channel layer with a low indium mole fraction in these heterostructures can help to reduce the short-channel effects by improvements such as providing 2DEG with higher sheet carrier density which is close to the surface and has better carrier confinement.     

图形化Silicon-on-Insulator衬底上分子束外延生长可动GaN微光栅的研究

GaN材料作为第三代半导体材料,具有宽禁带、直接带隙、耐腐蚀等优点,是一种非常有前景的MOEMS材料。由于GaN的刻蚀目前尚未成熟,因此图形化外延生长法是一种较好的选择。本文基于SOI(silicon-on-insulator)基片,利用硅的微加工技术和图形化GaN分子束外延生长工艺,设计并加工了工作在太赫兹波段的、可以在二维方向上运动的SOI基GaN光栅。光栅周期为16μm,光栅宽度为6μm,峰值位置为25.901μm。通过仿真优化,设计的微驱动器在水平电压220V时,水平方向上的位移为±7.26μm;垂直方向加200V电压时,垂直位移2.5μm。为了研究在图形化SOI衬底上外延生长的InGaN/GaN量子阱薄膜的光学性能,用激光拉曼光谱仪对薄膜进行了光致发光光谱实验。实验结果表明,InGaN/GaN量子阱薄膜具有良好的发光性能,其发光范围为350~500nm,覆盖了紫外光到黄绿光。由于局域态效应与禁带收缩的作用,随着环境温度由10K升高至室温,薄膜的PL光谱的峰位呈现"S"形变化趋势。     

Combined effects of carrier scattering and Coulomb screening on photoluminescence in InGaN/GaN quantum well structure with high In content

Photoluminescence(PL) spectra of two different green InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well(MQW) samples S1 and S2,respectively with a higher growth temperature and a lower growth temperature of InGaN well layers are analyzed over a wide temperature range of 6 K-3 30 K and an excitation power range of 0.001 mW-75 mW.The excitation power-dependent PL peak energy and linewidth at 6 K show that in an initial excitation power range,the emission process of the MQW is dominated simultaneously by the combined effects of the carrier scattering and Coulomb screening for both the samples,and both the carrier scattering effect and the Coulomb screening effect are stronger for S2 than those for S1;in the highest excitation power range,the emission process of the MQWs is dominated by the filling effect of the high-energy localized states for S1,and by the Coulomb screening effect for S2.The behaviors can be attributed to the fact that sample S2 should have a higher amount of In content in the InGaN well layers than S1 because of the lower growth temperature,and this results in a stronger component fluctuation-induced potential fluctuation and a stronger well/barrier lattice mismatchinduced quantum-confined Stark effect.This explanation is also supported by other relevant measurements of the samples,such as temperature-dependent peak energy and excitation-power-dependent internal quantum efficiency.     

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.     

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.