Experimental investigation of long-wavelength optical lattice vibrations in quaternary AlxInyGa1−x−yN alloys and comparison with results from the pseudo-unit cell model

Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies have been utilized to measure long-wavelength optical lattice vibrations of high-quality quaternary Al_xIn_yGa_1−x−yN thin films at room temperature. The Al_xIn_yGa_1−x−yN films were grown on c-plane (0 0 0 1) sapphire substrates with AlN as buffer layers using plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA-MBE) technique with aluminum (Al) mole fraction x ranging from 0.0 to 0.2 and constant indium (In) mole fraction y=0.1. Pseudo unit cell (PUC) model was applied to investigate the phonons frequency, mode number, static dielectric constant, and high frequency dielectric constant of the Al_xIn_yGa_1−x−yN mixed crystals. The theoretical results were compared with the experimental results obtained from the quaternary samples by using Raman and FTIR spectroscopies. The experimental results indicated that the Al_xIn_yGa_1−x−yN alloy had two-mode behavior, which includes A₁(LO), E₁(TO), and E₂(H). Thus, these results are in agreement with the theoretical results of PUC model, which also revealed a two-mode behavior for the quaternary nitride. We also obtained new values of E₁(TO) and E₂(H) for the quaternary nitride samples that have not yet been reported in the literature.     

A theoretical study of band structure properties for III–V nitrides quantum wells

Reliable and precise knowledge about the strain and composition effects on the band structure properties is crucial for the optimization of InGaN based heterostructures for electronic and optoelectronic device applications. AlInGaN as quaternary barrier material permits to control the band gap and the lattice constant independently. Using the model solid theory and the multi-band k.p interaction model, we investigate the composition effects on band offsets and band structure for pseudomorphic Ga_1−xIn_xN/Al_zIn_yGa_1−y−zN (0 0 1) heterointerfaces having zinc-blende structure. The results show that both conduction and valence band states are strongly modified while varying In and Al contents in the well and barrier materials. Furthermore, it is found that using AlInGaN as the barrier material allows the design of heterostructures including InGaN wells with tensile, zero or compressive strain. Such results give new insights for III-nitride compounds based applications and especially may guide the design of white-light emission diodes.     

Comparison between blue lasers and light‐emitting diodes for future solid‐state lighting

Solid‐state lighting (SSL) is now the most efficient source of high color quality white light ever created. Nevertheless, the blue InGaN light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) that are the light engine of SSL still have significant performance limitations. Foremost among these is the decrease in efficiency at high input current densities widely known as “efficiency droop.” Efficiency droop limits input power densities, contrary to the desire to produce more photons per unit LED chip area and to make SSL more affordable. Pending a solution to efficiency droop, an alternative device could be a blue laser diode (LD). LDs, operated in stimulated emission, can have high efficiencies at much higher input power densities than LEDs can. In this article, LEDs and LDs for future SSL are explored by comparing: their current state‐of‐the‐art input‐power‐density‐dependent power‐conversion efficiencies; potential improvements both in their peak power‐conversion efficiencies and in the input power densities at which those efficiencies peak; and their economics for practical SSL.     

Structural and optical properties of quaternary AlInGaN epilayers grown by MOCVD with various TMGa flows

AlInGaN quaternary epilayers have been grown with various TMGa flows by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition to investigate the influence of growth rate on the structural and optical properties. Triple-axis X-ray diffraction measurements show AlInGaN epilayers have good crystalline quality. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements show that the emission intensity of AlInGaN epilayers is twenty times stronger than that of AlGaN epilayer with comparable Al content. V-shaped pits are observed at the surface of AlInGaN epilayers by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). High growth rate leads to increased density and size of V-shaped pits, but crystalline quality is not degraded.     

AlInGaN材料的生长及其光学性质的研究

研究AlInGaN材料的生长特性及其光学性质.通过对不同生长温度生长的三个AlInGaN样品的 测量，发现In的掺入量随着生长温度的降低而增加，而Al的掺入几乎没什么变化；在较低温 度下生长的材料具有较好的材料质量与光学特性，其原因直接与In组分的掺入有关，In组分 的掺入可以减少材料的缺陷，改善材料的质量.同时，用时间分辨光谱研究了AlInGaN材料的 发光机理，发现其发光强度随时间变化（荧光衰退寿命）不是指数衰减，而是一种伸展的指 数衰减.通过对这种伸展的指数衰减特性的研究，发现AlInGaN发光来自 关键词： AlInGaN MOCVD 局域激子 量子点     

Growth of quaternary AlInGaN/GaN heterostructures by plasma-induced molecular beam epitaxy

Epitaxial growth of AlInGaN/GaN heterostructures on sapphire substrates was achieved by plasma-induced molecular beam epitaxy. Different alloy compositions were obtained by varying the growth temperature with constant Al, In, Ga and N fluxes. The In content in the alloy, measured by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, increased from 0.4% to 14.5% when the substrate temperature was decreased from 775°C to 665°C. X-ray reciprocal space maps of asymmetric AlInGaN (2.05) reflexes were used to measure the lattice constants and to verify the lattice match between the quaternary alloy and the GaN buffer layers.     

GaN基激光器多量子阱垒材料的研究

在(0001)蓝宝石衬底上分别用金属有机化学气相沉积技术外延生长了InGaN/GaN, InGaN/InGaN, InGaN/AlInGaN多量子阱激光器结构, 并分别制作了脊形波导GaN基激光器。同步辐射X射线衍射,电注入受激发射光谱测试及光功率-电流(L-I)测试证明,相对于GaN垒材料,InGaN垒材料,AlInGaN四元合金垒材料更能改善多量子阱的晶体质量,提高量子阱的量子效率及降低激光器阈值电流。相关的机制为：组分调节合适的四元合金垒层中Al的掺入使得量子阱势垒高度增加,阱区收集载流子的能力增强;In的掺入能更多地补偿应力,减少了由于缺陷和位错所产生的非辐射复合中心密度;In的掺入还减小了量子阱中应力引致的压电场,电子空穴波函数空间交叠得以加强,使得辐射复合增加。     

三元系和四元系GaN基量子阱结构的显微结构

GaN基量子阱是光电子器件如发光二极管、激光二极管的核心结构。实验表明,采用InGaN/GaN三元和AlInGaN/GaN四元两种不同量子阱结构的激光二极管的发光性质和发光效率有明显差别,研究了这两种不同量子阱结构的显微特征。利用原子力显微镜表征了样品的(001)面;通过高分辨X射线衍射对两种量子阱结构的(002)面作ω/2θ扫描测得其卫星峰并分析了两种不同量子阱结构的界面质量;利用X射线衍射对InGaN/GaN和AlInGaN/GaN这两种量子阱的(002)、(101)、(102)、(103)、(104)、(105)和(201)面做ω扫描,进而得到其摇摆曲线。最后利用PL谱研究了它们的光学性能。通过这些显微结构的分析和研究,揭示了InGaN/GaN三元和AlInGaN/GaN四元两种不同量子阱结构宏观性质不同的结构因素。     

AlInGaN合金的发光机制研究

用变温光致发光谱和时间分辨光谱研究了AlInGaN合金的发光机制.实验结果表明,发光强度随时间并不是呈指数衰减关系,而可以用伸展指数哀减函数来描述,表明材料中存在明显的无序.形成这种无序的原因是In组分不均产生的微结构(如量子点).伸展指数衰减函数中弥散指数β不仅不随温度变化,在250K也不随辐射能量变化,表明载流子的弥散过程由局域态之间的跳跃所主导.进一步实验表明局域态在250K时仍然表现出零维特性.     

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.