M. J. Kappers

Electron-beam-induced strain within InGaN quantum wells: False indium “cluster” detection in the transmission electron microscope

InGaN quantum wells have been found to be extremely sensitive to exposure to the electron beam in the transmission electron microscope (TEM). High-resolution TEM images acquired immediately after first irradiating a region of quantum well indicates no gross fluctuations of indium content in the InGaN alloy. During only a brief period of irradiation, inhomogeneous strain is introduced in the material due to electron beam damage. This strain is very similar to that expected from genuine nanometer-scale indium composition fluctuations which suggests there is the possibility of falsely detecting indium-rich “clusters” in a homogeneous quantum well.

Optical and microstructural studies of InGaN/GaN single-quantum-well structures

We have studied the low-temperature (T=6K) optical properties of a series of InGaN∕GaN single-quantum-well structures with varying indium fractions. With increasing indium fraction the peak emission moves to lower energy and the strength of the exciton–longitudinal-optical (LO)-phonon coupling increases. The Huang–Rhys factor extracted from the Fabry–Perot interference-free photoluminescence spectra has been compared with the results of a model calculation, yielding a value of approximately 2nm for the in-plane localization length scale of carriers. We have found reasonable agreement between this length scale and the in-plane extent of well-width fluctuations observed in scanning transmission electron microscopy high-angle annular dark-field images. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy images taken with a short exposure time and a low electron flux have not revealed any evidence of gross indium fluctuations within our InGaN quantum wells. These images could not, however, rule out the possible ...

Three-dimensional atom probe studies of an InxGa1−xN∕GaN multiple quantum well structure: Assessment of possible indium clustering

An InxGa1−xN∕GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) structure that exhibited bright photoluminescence was examined with the three-dimensional atom probe. The quantum wells were clearly imaged and the indium fraction x measured to be 0.19±0.01, in good agreement with x-ray diffraction measurements. The distribution of indium in the MQWs was analyzed: no evidence for either high indium concentration regions or indium clustering was found, in contrast with many of the transmission electron microscopy studies in the literature. The authors conclude that indium clustering is not necessary for bright luminescence in InGaN.

InGaN quantum dots grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy employing a post-growth nitrogen anneal

We describe the growth of InGaN quantum dots (QDs) by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. A thin InGaN epilayer is grown on a GaN buffer layer and then annealed at the growth temperature in molecular nitrogen inducing quantum dot formation. Microphotoluminescence studies of these QDs reveal sharp peaks with typical linewidths of ∼700 μeV at 4.2 K, the linewidth being limited by the spectral resolution. Time-resolved photoluminescence suggests that the excitons in these structures have lifetimes in excess of 2 ns at 4.2 K.

Carrier leakage in InGaN quantum well light-emitting diodes emitting at 480 nm

Pulsed light–current characteristics of InGaN/GaN quantum welllight-emitting diodes have been measured as a function of temperature, with sublinear behavior observed over the whole temperature range, 130–330 K. A distinctive temperature dependence is also noted where the light output, at a fixed current, initially increases with temperature, before reaching a maximum at 250 K and then decreases with subsequent increases in temperature. On the basis of a drift diffusion model, we can explain the sublinear light–current characteristics and the temperature dependence by the influence of the large acceptor ionization energy in Mg-doped GaN together with a triangular density of states function characteristic of localized states. Without the incorporation of localization effects, we are unable to reproduce the temperature dependence whilst maintaining emission at the observed wavelength. This highlights the importance of localization effects on device performance.

Carrier localization mechanisms in InxGa1-xN/GaN quantum wells

Localization lengths of the electrons and holes in InGaN/GaN quantum wells have been calculated using numerical solutions of the effective mass Schrodinger equation. We have treated the distribution of indium atoms as random and found that the resultant fluctuations in alloy concentration can localize the carriers. By using a locally varying indium concentration function we have calculated the contribution to the potential energy of the carriers from band gap fluctuations, the deformation potential, and the spontaneous and piezoelectric fields. We have considered the effect of well width fluctuations and found that these contribute to electron localization, but not to hole localization. We also simulate low temperature photoluminescence spectra and find good agreement with experiment.

Understanding x-ray diffraction of nonpolar gallium nitride films

X-ray diffraction (XRD) is widely used for the rapid evaluation of the structural quality of thin films. In order to determine how defect densities relate to XRD data, we investigated a series of heteroepitaxial nonpolar a-plane GaN films with different densities of dislocations and basal plane stacking faults (determined by transmission electron microscopy). Factors influencing XRD data include surface roughness effects, limited lateral coherence lengths, lateral microstrain, mosaic tilt, and wafer curvature, in addition to the defects present. No direct correlation between defect densities and any measured XRD parameter was found. However, the structural imperfections dominating XRD data can be identified by specific analysis of each individual broadening factor. This reductive approach permits full explanation of the in-plane rotational anisotropy of symmetric ω-scan widths for both a-plane and m-plane films: in these samples, mosaic tilt is the dominant factor.

Improvements in a-plane GaN crystal quality by a two-step growth process

Nonpolar (112¯0) a-plane GaN films have been grown by metal-organic vapor deposition on r-plane (11¯02) sapphire. Lateral growth is favored using a low V:III ratio resulting in films with a smooth surface, while pitted films are grown at a high V:III ratio indicating preferential on-axis growth. High-resolution x-ray diffraction analysis of both film types showed a strong anisotropy in the peak width of the symmetric omega rocking curve with respect to the in-plane orientation, phi. In-plane isotropic behavior of crystallinity with overall reduced omega full width at half maximum values was achieved when the growth was initiated at a high V:III ratio before reducing the V:III ratio for film coalescence. An improvement of crystal quality through initial surface roughening was equally realized by the incorporation of partial-coverage SiNx interlayers.

Determination of the indium content and layer thicknesses in InGaN/GaN quantum wells by x-ray scattering

We have determined the indium content and the layer thicknesses in an InGaN epilayer and InGaN/GaN quantum well structures by high-resolution x-ray diffraction (XRD) using the (002) reflection. The thickness of the total repeat (an InGaN well plus a GaN barrier) in the superlattice is easily determined from the spacing between the satellite peaks in an omega/2theta scan. Measurement of the individual thickness of InGaN and GaN layers and the indium content is less straightforward, since for multilayer structures the peak positions are influenced by both the indium content and the thickness ratio of the GaN to the InGaN layer. Thus, several different models may give reasonable fits to data collected over a limited range (about 1° omega/2theta either side of the (002)) showing only lower-order (−3 to +3) satellite peaks. Whenever possible, we have collected data over a wide range (about 4° omega/2theta) and determined the thickness ratio by examination of the relative intensities of weak higher-order satell...

On the origin of threading dislocations in GaN films

A series of GaN films were grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy on nitrided sapphire using an initial annealed low-temperature nucleation layer (LT-NL), without employing any conventional threading dislocation (TD) reduction methods. Film thicknesses ranging from the LT-NL to 500 nm were used. The island network morphology was investigated at each growth stage using atomic force microscopy. Data from cathodoluminescence studies showed initially uniform luminescence, followed by the gradual development of bright (low TD) regions which had lateral sizes different from the island sizes at all times and which continued to increase in size after coalescence. The formation of low-energy arrays of a-type TDs also continued after island coalescence. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and AFM data indicated that the highest (a+c)-type TD densities were found in the LT-NL, but subsequently decreased due to TD loop formation (promoted by island facets) and reaction to produce a-type TDs. ...