Effects of interface roughness on photoluminescence full width at half maximum in GaN/AlGaN quantum wells

Low temperature photoluminescence(PL) measurements have been performed for a set of GaN/AlxGa1-xN quantum wells(QWs). The experimental results show that the optical full width at half maximum(FWHM) increases relatively rapidly with increasing Al composition in the AlxGa1-xN barrier, and increases only slightly with increasing GaN well width. A model considering the interface roughness is used to interpret the experimental results. In the model, the FWHM’s broadening caused by the interface roughness is calculated based on the triangle potential well approximation. We find that the calculated results accord with the experimental results well.     

Effect of high-temperature annealing on AlN thin film grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

The effect of high-temperature annealing on AlN thin film grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition was investigated using atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and deep ultra-violet photoluminescence(PL) with the excitation wavelength as short as ～ 177 nm. Annealing experiments were carried out in either N2 or vacuum atmosphere with the annealing temperature ranging from 1200℃ to 1600℃. It is found that surface roughness reduced and compressive strain increased with the annealing temperature increasing in both annealing atmospheres. As to optical properties,a band-edge emission peak at 6.036 eV and a very broad emission band peaking at about 4.7 eV were observed in the photoluminescence spectrum of the as-grown sample. After annealing, the intensity of the band-edge emission peak varied with the annealing temperature and atmosphere. It is also found that a much stronger emission band ranging from 2.5 eV to 4.2 eV is superimposed on the original spectra by annealing in either N2 or vacuum atmosphere. We attribute these deep-level emission peaks to the VAL–ONcomplex in the AlN material.     

Effects of interface roughness on photoluminescence full width at half maximum in GaN/AIGaN quantum wells

Low temperature photoluminescence （PL） measurements have been performed for a set of GaN/AlxGal xN quantum wells （QWs）. The experimental results show that the optical full width at half maximum （FWHM） increases relatively rapidly with increasing A1 composition in the AlxGal xN barrier, and increases only slightly with increasing GaN well width. A model considering the interface roughness is used to interpret the experimental results. In the model, the FWHM＇s broadening caused by the interface roughness is calculated based on the triangle potential well approximation. We find that the calculated results accord with the experimental results well.