F. Natali

Molecular Beam Epitaxy of Group‐III Nitrides on Silicon Substrates: Growth, Properties and Device Applications

We report on the growth and properties of GaN films grown on Si(111) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy using ammonia. The properties of the layers show that our growth procedure is very efficient in order to overcome the difficulties encountered during the growth of nitrides on silicon substrates: first, no nitridation of the silicon substrate is observed at the interface between the AIN buffer laver and the silicon surface: second. there is no Si autodoping coming from the substrate and resistive undoped GaN layers are obtained; and, also, strain balance engineering allows one to grow thick GaN epilayers (up to 3 mum) without formation of cracks. The optical, structural and electrical properties of these films are studied. In order to evaluate the potentialities of III-V nitrides grown on silicon substrates, we have grown heterostructures to realize light emitting diodes (LEDs), photodetectors and high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs).

Growth of high quality crack-free AlGaN films on GaN templates using plastic relaxation through buried cracks

A method is presented to achieve thick high quality crack-free AlGaN layers on GaN. This method uses jointly plastic relaxation and lateral growth. In a first step, plastic relaxation by cracking and misfit dislocation introduction is realized. Then the cracks are overgrown to obtain a smooth surface. By this reproducible technique, we grew smooth metal-organic chemical vapor deposition Al0.2Ga0.8N films with a threading dislocation density as low as 5×108 cm−2. This result is the best ever reported for crack-free AlGaN growth over a large area. The control of the complete plastic relaxation opens up perspectives for the realization of high performance devices. In order to explain the mechanisms involved in the full relaxation of the AlGaN/GaN heterostructure, we propose a relaxation scheme and discuss its different steps.

Determination of the refractive indices of AlN, GaN, and AlxGa1−xN grown on (111)Si substrates

The refractive indices of several AlxGa1−xN alloys deposited on silicon are determined by ellipsometry and reflectivity experiments at room temperature. The AlGaN layers are grown on (111)Si substrate by molecular-beam epitaxy on top of an AlN/GaN/AlN buffer in order to reduce the strain of the alloy. The Al composition is deduced from energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and photoluminescence experiments. The refractive index n and the extinction coefficient k are determined in the 300–600 nm range. For the transparent region of AlxGa1−xN, the refractive index is given in form of a Sellmeier law.

Rare-earth mononitrides

Abstract When the rare earth mononitrides (RENs) first burst onto the scientific scene in the middle of last century, there were feverish dreams that their strong magnetic moment would afford a wide range of applications. For decades research was frustrated by poor stoichiometry and the ready reaction of the materials in ambient conditions, and only recently have these impediments finally been overcome by advances in thin film fabrication with ultra-high vacuum based growth technology. Currently, the field of research into the RENs is growing rapidly, motivated by the materials demands of proposed electronic and spintronic devices. Both semiconducting and ferromagnetic properties have been established in some of the RENs which thus attract interest for the potential to exploit the spin of charge carriers in semiconductor technologies for both fundamental and applied science. In this review, we take stock of where progress has occurred within the last decade in both theoretical and experimental fields, and which has led to the point where a proof-of-concept spintronic device based on RENs has already been demonstrated. The article is organized into three major parts. First, we describe the epitaxial growth of REN thin films and their structural properties, with an emphasis on their prospective spintronic applications. Then, we conduct a critical review of the different advanced theoretical calculations utilized to determine both the electronic structure and the origins of the magnetism in these compounds. The rest of the review is devoted to the recent experimental results on optical, electrical and magnetic properties and their relation to current theoretical descriptions. These results are discussed particularly with regard to the controversy about the exact nature of the magnetic state and conduction processes in the RENs.

Blue-green and white color tuning of monolithic light emitting diodes

A blue light emitting diode (LED) is grown on top of a (Ga, In)N/GaN multiple quantum well (QW) acting as a light converter from blue to green-yellow wavelength. The blue light is produced by electrical injection, while the green-yellow emitting QWs are optically pumped by the blue photons. It is shown that the final color of the LED is strongly dependent on the blue pumping wavelength, the absorption and the internal quantum efficiency of the light converter. Depending on these parameters, blue to green LEDs or even white LEDs can be obtained. In addition, the injection current dependence of the LED electroluminescence is measured and analyzed. A very low blueshift is observed as a function of the injection current. It is explained by the fact that the carrier density per QW in the light converter stays relatively low compared to the case of classical current-injected green LEDs.

High-Al-content crack-free AlGaN/GaN Bragg mirrors grown by molecular-beam epitaxy

We report on the growth by molecular-beam epitaxy on 2 in. sapphire substrates of crack-free AlxGa1−xN/GaN distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) with high-Al composition (x=0.5). This is achieved by introducing a thick AlN interlayer and strain mediating AlyGa1−yN layer between the substrate and DBR. The relatively larger refractive index ratio between Al0.5Ga0.5N and GaN permits one to obtain a quite large spectral stopband width (49 nm) and a high reflectance value (69%) for only eight mirror periods.

Strong light-matter coupling at room temperature in simple geometry GaN microcavities grown on silicon

The reflectance spectra of simple design GaN-based microcavities have been studied in the 5 K–300 K range. The epitaxial structure consists of the silicon substrate and the stack of buffer layers as the back mirror, a GaN active layer, and a 100 A thick aluminium layer as the top mirror. Active layer thicknesses of λ∕2, λ, or 3λ∕2 were investigated. The samples with GaN thicknesses λ∕2 and λ display an anticrossing behavior between the cavity and exciton modes, with measured Rabi splittings of 47 and 60 meV, respectively, both at 5 K and room temperature.

Molecular dynamics simulations of reflection and adhesion behavior in Lennard-Jones cluster deposition

We conduct molecular dynamics simulations of the collision of atomic clusters with a weakly attractive surface. We focus on an intermediate regime, between soft landing and fragmentation, where the cluster undergoes deformation on impact but remains largely intact and will either adhere to the surface (and possibly slide) or be reflected. We find that the outcome of the collision is determined by the Weber number We, i.e., the ratio of the kinetic energy to the adhesion energy, with a transition between adhesion and reflection occurring as We passes through unity. We also identify two distinct collision regimes: in one regime, the collision is largely elastic and deformation of the cluster is relatively small, but in the second regime, the deformation is large and the adhesion energy starts to depend on the kinetic energy. If the transition between these two regimes occurs at a similar kinetic energy to that of the transition between reflection and adhesion, then we find that the probability of adhesion for a cluster can be bimodal. In addition, we investigate the effects of the angle of incidence on adhesion and reflection. Finally, we compare our findings both with recent experimental results and with macroscopic theories of particle collisions.

High microwave and noise performance of 0.17-/spl mu/m AlGaN-GaN HEMTs on high-resistivity silicon substrates

AlGaN-GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) based on high-resistivity silicon substrate with a 0.17-/spl mu/m T-shape gate length are fabricated. The device exhibits a high drain current density of 550 mA/mm at V/sub GS/=1 V and V/sub DS/=10 V with an intrinsic transconductance (g/sub m/) of 215 mS/mm. A unity current gain cutoff frequency (f/sub t/) of 46 GHz and a maximum oscillation frequency (f/sub max/) of 92 GHz are measured at V/sub DS/=10 V and I/sub DS/=171 mA/mm. The radio-frequency microwave noise performance of the device is obtained at 10 GHz for different drain currents. At V/sub DS/=10 V and I/sub DS/=92 mA/mm, the device exhibits a minimum-noise figure (NF/sub min/) of 1.1 dB and an associated gain (G/sub ass/) of 12 dB. To our knowledge, these results are the best f/sub t/, f/sub max/ and microwave noise performance ever reported on GaN HEMT grown on Silicon substrate.

Blue-light emission from GaN∕Al0.5Ga0.5N quantum dots

The growth by molecular beam epitaxy and the optical properties of GaN∕Al0.5Ga0.5N quantum dots on (0001) sapphire substrates are reported. The quantum dots are spontaneously formed via a two dimensional to three dimensional transition upon growth interruption. Photoluminescence over the blue range (435–470nm) is obtained at room temperature by varying the GaN nominal thickness. A weak temperature dependence of the integrated photoluminescence intensity between low temperature and room temperature is observed indicating strong carrier localization in the quantum dots.