Influence of Be on N composition in Be-doped InGaAsN grown by RF plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

Undoped and Be-doped InGaAsN layers were grown on GaAs substrates under the same growth conditions by radio frequency plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Increased tensile strain (Δa/a=3×10⁻³) was observed for Be-doped InGaAsN layers, compared to undoped InGaAsN layers. The strain is shown to originate from the increase in N composition related to Be incorporation, rather than solely from Be atoms substituting Ga atom sites (Be_Ga). A possible reason is the high Be–N bond strength, which inhibits the loss of N from the growth surface during epitaxial growth, thereby increasing the N composition in the Be-doped InGaAsN layer.     

Untersuchungen im System Ta—Mo—N

An isothermal section at 1,100°C and at nitrogen pressures in the range of 1 to 300 bar of the system Ta-Mo-N has been examined by X-ray techniques. The composition range of the ternary Z-phase TaMoN has been investigated with respect to nitrogen content and metal composition. A new ternary phase was found at a composition of Ta₃MoN_3+x.Within the -Mo₂N-phase up to 25% of the Mo-atoms can be replaced by Ta-atoms at nitrogen pressures of 300 bar, while only a small amount of the Taatoms can be replaced by Mo-atoms within the Ta-nitrides up to nitrogen pressures of 300 bar. Up to about 50% of the Mo-atoms can be substituted by W-atoms within the Z-phase.

     

Profiling band structure in GaN devices by electron holography

Electron holography in a field emission gun transmission electron microscope has been used to profile the inner potential V₀ across GaN/x nm In_0.1Ga_0.9N/GaN/(0 0 0 1) sapphire samples (x=10, 40 nm) grown by molecular beam epitaxy and viewed in cross-section. Results are presented which suggest a decrease in V₀ of 3–4 V across the InGaN layer in the [0 0 0 1] direction. It is proposed that the results can be explained by charge accumulation across the InGaN layer and that the opposing contributions due to piezoelectric and polarisation fields are effectively masked by Fermi level pinning.     

MBE growth of cubic AlyGa1−yN/GaN heterostructures—structural, vibrational and optical properties

Cubic Al_yGa_1−yN/GaN heterostructures on GaAs(0 0 1) substrates were grown by radio-frequency plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. High resolution X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and cathodoluminescence measurements were used to characterize the structural, optical and vibrational properties of the Al_yGa_1−yN epilayers. The AlN mole fraction y of the alloy was varied between 0.07<y<0.20. X-ray diffraction reciprocal space maps demonstrate the good crystal quality of the cubic Al_yGa_1−yN films. The measured Raman shift of the phonon modes of the Al_yGa_1−yN alloy was in excellent agreement with theoretical calculations. Both SE and CL of the Al_yGa_1−yN epilayer showed a linear increase of the band gap with increasing Al-content.     

Spectrally resolved electroluminescence microscopy and μ-electroluminescence investigation of GaN-based LEDs

We have studied the luminescence properties of GaN LEDs by electroluminescence microscopy (ELM) and micro-electroluminescence (μ-EL) spectroscopy. Spatial inhomogeneity in the deep level region of the spectra is observed in spectrally resolved ELM images. Room temperature μ-EL spectra measured from 5×5 μm² regions show anti-correlation of the defect-related recombination (E=1.95–2.45 eV) with the band-edge emission (E=3.18 eV).     

Polarization induced 2D hole gas in GaN/AlGaN heterostructures

The generation of high density 2D hole gases is crucial for further progress in the electronic and optoelectronic nitride devices. In this paper, we present systematic theoretical studies of Mg-doped GaN/AlGaN gated heterostructures and superlattices. Our calculations are based on a self-consistent solution of the multiband k.p Schrödinger and Poisson equation and reveal that the hole 2D sheet density is mainly determined by the polarization induced interface charges. For an aluminium concentration of 30%, the induced hole density in the heterostructure can reach values up to 1.5×10¹³ cm⁻². In the GaN/AlGaN superlattices, the hole sheet density increases with the superlattice period and saturates for a period of 40 nm at a value of 1.5×10¹³ cm⁻².     

Photoluminescence and its time evolution of AlN thin films

We report the room temperature photoluminescence measurements of AlN thin films stimulated by above-band-gap pulsed light excitation. Two AlN thin films with different composition and structure were studied. One AlN film, prepared by pulsed laser deposition from sintered aluminum nitride ceramic target, contains oxide impurities. The other one, prepared by plasma assisted reactive pulsed laser deposition from pure aluminum metal target, is composed of pure AlN compound. Upon the irradiation of the samples by 193 nm excimer laser pulses, both the as-grown AlN thin films luminesce in the ultraviolet and the green regions, peaked at 440 and 400 nm, respectively. We also examined the time evolution of the luminescence and found that the entire broad luminescence band decays non-exponentially at approximately the same rate.     

Subnitride chemistry: A first-principles study of the NaBa3N, Na5Ba3N, and Na16Ba6N phases

An ab initio study on the electronic structure of the subnitrides NaBa₃N, Na₅Ba₃N, and Na₁₆Ba₆N is performed for the first time. The NaBa₃N and Na₅Ba₃N phases consist of infinite ¹_∞[NBa_6/2] strands composed of face-sharing NBa₆ octahedra surrounded by a “sea” of sodium atoms. The Na₁₆Ba₆N phase consist of discrete [NBa₆] octahedra arranged in a body-cubic fashion, surrounded by a “sea” of sodium atoms. Our calculations suggest that the title subnitrides are metals. Analysis of the electronic structure shows partial interaction of N(2s) with Ba(5p) electrons in the lower energy region for NaBa₃N and Na₅Ba₃N. However, no dispersion is observed for the N(2s) and Ba(5p) bands in the cubic phase Na₁₆Ba₆N. The metallic band below the Fermi level shows a strong mixing of N(2p), Ba(6s), Ba(5d), Ba(6p), Na(3s) and Na(3p) orbitals. The metallic character in these nitrides stems from delocalized electrons corresponding to hybridized 5d^l6s^m6pⁿ barium orbitals which interact with hybridized 3sⁿ3p^m sodium orbitals. Analysis of the electron density and electronic structure in these nitrides shows two different regions: a metallic matrix corresponding to the sodium atoms and the regions around them and heteropolar bonding between nitrogen and barium within the infinite ¹_∞[NBa_6/2] strands of the NaBa₃N and Na₅Ba₃N phases, and within the isolated [NBa₆] octahedra of the Na₁₆Ba₆N phase. The nitrogen atoms inside the strands and octahedra are negatively charged, the anionic character of nitrogens being larger in the isolated octahedra of the cubic phase Na₁₆Ba₆N, due to the lack of electron delocalization along one direction as opposed to the other phases. The sodium and barium atoms appear to be slightly negatively and positively charged, the latter to a larger extent. From the computed Ba-N overlap populations as well as the analysis of the contour maps of differences between total density and superposition of atomic densities, we suggest partial covalent bonding between nitrogen and barium atoms along the infinite ¹_∞[NBa_6/2] strands and within isolated [NBa₆] octahedra.     

GaN single crystals of different habit grown from solution at near atmospheric pressure

Near atmospheric pressure solution growth is one of the many developing methods for growing bulk GaN from solution. Apart from other approaches, this method holds certain advantages, such as relatively low growth pressure and temperature, and the ability to grow high quality GaN crystals with different orientations by varying the solvent composition. GaN whiskers of millimeter scale size with exceptional mechanical and optical properties were grown from solution. Crystals of near isotropic shape were also grown from solution by manipulating additives in the basic solvent.     

Advanced optical spectroscopy in nitrides and oxides: Some of the progress made during the past ten years

I review the recent progress made concerning the optical properties of (In,Al,Ga)N-based and (Zn,Mg)O-based epilayers and low dimensional systems like quantum wells, superlattices and microcavities.