P. Han

Nonpolar m-plane thin film GaN and InGaN∕GaN light-emitting diodes on LiAlO2(100) substrates

The nonpolar m-plane (11¯00) thin film GaN and InGaN∕GaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition on LiAlO2 (100) substrates are reported. The LEDs emit green light with output power of 80μW under a direct current of 20mA for a 400×400μm2 device. The current versus voltage (I-V) characteristic of the diode shows soft rectifying properties caused by defects and impurities in the p-n junction. The electroluminescence peak wavelength dependence on injection current, for currents in excess of 20mA, saturates at 515–516nm. This proves the absence of polarization fields in the active region present in c-plane structures. The light output intensity versus current (L-I) characteristic of the diode exhibits a superlinear relation at low injection current caused by nonradiative centers providing a shunt path and a linear light emission zone at high current level when these centers are saturated.

Photoluminescence oscillations in porous alumina films

The dominant oscillation shown in the laser-excited photoluminescence spectrum of the porous alumina film can be ascribed to the interference within a Fabry-Perot optical cavity where the separation between two neighboring oscillations is highly sensitive to the film’s thickness and refractive index. The method, designated as photoluminescence oscillation, endows photoluminescence spectrum with another dimension and results in a nondestructive method for the measurement of the thickness and refractive index with a high resolution.

Microstructure and dislocation of epitaxial InN films revealed by high resolution x-ray diffraction

This article reports on the study of microstructure and dislocation of InN films using high resolution x-ray diffraction grown on sapphire (0001) both by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The mosaic tilt, twist, and correlation lengths of InN films are determined by using symmetrical and asymmetrical reflections as well as reciprocal space mapping. Deducing from these results, MBE-grown InN film exhibits the edge-type dislocations of 4.0×109 cm−2, which is about ten times higher than the density of screw-type dislocations. In MOCVD-grown InN sample, the edge-type dislocations density is as high as 2.1×1010 cm−2, and the screw-type dislocations density is 1.3×109 cm−2. They indicate that edge type is the predominant dislocation type in the InN films. By comparing the reported transmission electron microscopy results, the accuracy of evaluation for the dislocation density using the mosaic model is proved.

Anisotropic crystallographic properties, strain, and their effects on band structure of m-plane GaN on LiAlO2(100)

The m-plane GaN films grown on LiAlO2(100) by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition exhibit anisotropic crystallographic properties. The Williamson–Hall plots point out they are due to the different tilts and lateral correlation lengths of mosaic blocks parallel and perpendicular to GaN[0001] in the growth plane. The symmetric and asymmetric reciprocal space maps reveal the strain of m-plane GaN to be biaxial in-plane compress exx=−0.79% and ezz=−0.14% with an out-of-plane dilatation eyy=0.38%. This anisotropic strain further separates the energy levels of top valence band at Γ point. The energy splitting as 37meV as well as in-plane polarization anisotropy for transitions are found by the polarized photoluminescence spectra at room temperature.

Photocurrent characteristics of two-dimensional-electron-gas-based AlGaN/GaN metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors

Photocurrent response characteristics of two-dimensional-electron-gas-based AlGaN/GaN metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetectors were investigated by changing the frequency of incident light signals. At low chopper frequencies, the contribution to the photocurrent is mainly from the GaN bulk layer at 5 V bias, as expected. With increasing chopper frequency, a peak response at 361 nm wavelength becomes more and more pronounced and dominates gradually the photocurrent spectrum, indicating that this peak response has a much less frequency dependence and a faster response rate than the spectral response from the GaN bulk layer. This peak response is attributed to the contribution of photoelectrons generated in the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) channel according to simulation results of electrical field distribution and analysis of carrier transport in the 2DEG-based AlGaN/GaN heterostructure. This characteristic makes the 2DEG-based MSM photodetectors a large potential to develop high-speed ultravio...

Structural and magnetic properties in Mn-doped GaN grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

Mn-doped GaN epitaxial films (Ga1−xMnxN) were grown on sapphire (0001) by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Mn concentration was determined by energy dispersive spectrometry. For Ga1−xMnxN with x up to 0.027, no secondary phases except for GaN were detected by high resolution x-ray diffractometer. Raman scattering spectra show that the longitudinal optical phonon mode A1(LO) of Ga1−xMnxN shifts toward lower frequency with increasing Mn concentration due to substitutional Mn incorporation. Electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements were performed and highly anisotropic sixfold hyperfine line indicates that the ionized Mn2+ substitutes for Ga3+ ions. However, magnetometry reveals that all homogenous Ga1−xMnxN show paramagneticlike behaviors. From Brillouin function fit and ESR spectra, it is concluded that Mn ions are present as isolated paramagnetic centers.

Impact of lattice strain on the phase formation, polarization, and dielectric constant of PbZr1−xTixO3 films

A phenomenological thermodynamic theory of ferroelectric thin films on noncubic substrates is developed using a nontraditional form of the thermodynamic potential. For single-domain PbZr1−xTixO3 50∕50 film, the “lattice strain-temperature” phase diagram is constructed. It is found that the lattice strain induces a shift of the Curie temperature of the ferroelectric transition. The unusual r phase that is forbidden in single crystals and bulk ceramics appears in thin film. The “lattice strain-polarization” diagram and “lattice strain-dielectric constant” diagram at room temperature are also predicted. They all show discontinuous at the transition interface.

Observation of hole accumulation at the interface of an undoped InGaN/GaN heterostructure

A pronounced hump structure at about −5 V in the high-frequency capacitance-voltage (C-V) curve of an undoped InGaN/GaN heterostructure is observed and this hump weakens gradually with decreasing measurement frequency, indicating the occurrence of an inversion behavior in the InGaN/GaN heterostructure. The inversion behavior in the C-V curve is attributed to hole accumulation at the heterointerface where a hole well is formed due to the strong piezoelectric polarization effect in the InGaN/GaN heterostructure. The acceptor traps related to Ga vacancies in the InGaN layer are thought to be the source of the minority carriers. The theoretical calculation of band diagram of the InGaN/GaN heterostructure confirms the formation of the hole well at the heterointerface and supports the behavior of hole accumulation under negative bias voltage.

Characteristics of GaN thin films by inductively coupled plasma etching with Cl2/BCl3 and Cl2/Ar

GaN thin films were etched by inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The effects of BCl3 and Ar with different Cl2 fraction are studied and compared. The ICP power and RF power are also altered to investigate the different effects by using Cl2/BCl3 or Cl2/Ar as etching gases. The etch rate and surface morphology of the etched surface are characterized by using surface profiler, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The root-mean-square roughness values are systematically compared. It is found that the etch rates of Cl2/Ar are higher than that of the Cl2/BCl3 in the Cl2 fraction ranging from 10 to 90%. When the ICP power is increased, the RMS roughness of GaN surface after ICP etching shows reverse trend between Cl2/BCl3 and Cl2/Ar gas mixture. The results indicate quite different features using Cl2/BCl3 and Cl2/Ar for GaN ICP etcing under the same conditions.

The effect of long-duration high-temperature annealing in an air ambient on the properties of AlGaN∕GaN heterostructures

The effects of a long-duration high-temperature annealing in an air ambient on the strain of the AlGaN barrier layer and high-temperature transport properties of the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in AlGaN∕GaN heterostructures were investigated. The results show that the annealing induces a nonreversible lattice relaxation in the AlGaN layer and increases remarkably the 2DEG density due to the incorporation of oxygen atoms into the AlGaN surface and decreases the 2DEG mobility in the AlGaN∕GaN heterostructure. However, the conductivity of the 2DEG has no obvious change in our samples within the measured temperature range before and after the annealing, indicating that AlGaN∕GaN heterostructures are possibly promising for electron devices operated at high temperatures based on atmospheric exposure.