Philippe De Mierry

Green InGaN Light-Emitting Diodes Grown on Silicon (111) by Metalorganic Vapor Phase Epitaxy

We report on the growth and characterization of green InGaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) grown on Si (111) substrates using metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. A single InGaN quantum well active layer has been used. The optical qualities of InGaN on Si(111) and the p–doping efficiency of GaN are discussed. The turn-on voltage of the LED is 6.8 V and the operating voltage is 10.7 V at 20 mA. Electroluminescence of the LEDs starts at a forward bias of 3.5 V. The electroluminescence peaks at 508 nm, with a full-width at half maximum of 52 nm. An optical output power of 6 µW (in ~ 8π/5 sr) was achieved for an applied current of 20 mA.

Internal quantum efficiency in yellow-amber light emitting AlGaN-InGaN-GaN heterostructures

We determine the internal quantum efficiency of strain-balanced AlGaN-InGaN-GaN hetero-structures designed for yellow-amber light emission, by using a recent model based on the kinetics of the photoluminescence decay initiated by Iwata et al. [J. Appl. Phys. 117, 075701 (2015)]. Our results indicate that low temperature internal quantum efficiencies sit in the 50% range and we measure that adding an AlGaN layer increases the internal quantum efficiency from 50% up to 57% with respect to the GaN-InGaN case. More dramatic, it almost doubles from 2.5% up to 4.3% at room temperature.

In-plane anisotropy characteristics of GaN epilayers grown on A-face sapphire substrates

We report on the structural in-plane anisotropy of GaN films grown on A-plane sapphire substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. It is found that GaN:Si grown on A-face sapphire exhibits a strongly anisotropic wafer bending in the two orthogonal in-plane directions, with a ∼24% larger curvature along the c-axis of sapphire than along the m-axis. Using a model developed for an elastically anisotropic bilayer structure and using our curvature data, the anisotropic biaxial stresses in the two in-plane directions have been estimated as σ1x≅−1.3 GPa and σ1y≅−1.1 GPa along parallel and perpendicular to c-axis of sapphire, respectively. This anisotropic stress is also responsible for the distortion of the GaN hexagonal basal plane, as evidenced by x-ray diffraction measurements. The broadening of full width at half maximum of the GaN (0002) x-ray reflections varies with different azimuthal angles, correlated with the tilt of the c-axis of GaN. The in-plane epitaxial relationships between the GaN (00...

Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy of Monolithic Two-Color Light-Emitting Diodes Using an InGaN-Based Light Converter

Monolithic InGaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) using a light converter fully grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy are demonstrated. The light converter, consisting of 10–40 InGaN/GaN quantum wells, is grown first, followed by a violet pump LED. The structure and growth conditions of the pump LED are specifically adapted to avoid thermal degradation of the light converter. Electroluminescence analysis shows that part of the pump light is absorbed by the light converter and reemitted at longer wavelength. Depending on the emission wavelength of the light converter, different LED colors are achieved. In particular, for red-emitting light converters, a color temperature of 2100 K corresponding to a tint between warm white and candle light is demonstrated.

Auger effect in yellow light emitters based on InGaN–AlGaN–GaN quantum wells

The Auger effect and its impact on the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of yellow light emitters based on silicon-doped InGaN–AlGaN–GaN quantum wells are investigated by power dependence measurement and using an ABC model. Photoluminescence intensity recorded as a function of excitation power density follows a linear dependence up to a threshold P T that depends on the design of the sample. Above this threshold, the variation of the intensity becomes sublinear, which is characteristic of the onset of Auger recombination processes. After extracting the evolution of IQE with pump power from the experimental data, we use a modified ABC modeling that includes the residual n-type doping to estimate the contribution of different recombination channels. We find that the Auger effect dominates in the high-excitation regime. In addition, we find that intercalating an AlGaN-strain-compensating layer reduces not only the coefficient of nonradiative recombination rates but also reduces the onset of Auger recombination.

Photo-induced droop in blue to red light emitting InGaN/GaN single quantum wells structures

The variation of the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of single InGaN quantum well structures emitting from blue to red is studied as a function of the excitation power density and the temperature. By changing the well width, the indium content, and adding a strain compensation AlGaN layer, we could tune the intrinsic radiative recombination rate by changing the quantum confined Stark effect, and we could modify the carrier localization. Strong quantum confined Stark effect and carrier localization induce an increase in the carrier density and then favor Auger non-radiative recombination in the high excitation range. In such high excitation conditions with efficient Auger recombination, the variation of the IQE with the photo-excitation density P is ruled by a universal power law independent of the design: IQE = IQEMAX – a log10P with a close to 1/3. The temperature dependences of the different recombination mechanisms are determined. At low temperature, both quantum confined Stark effect and carrier localization trigger electron-electron repulsions and therefore the onset of the Auger effect. The increase in the value of coefficient C with changing temperature reveals indirect Auger recombination that relates to the interactions of the carriers with other phonons than the longitudinal optical one.

Successive selective growth of semipolar (11-22) GaN on patterned sapphire substrate

Thanks to the use of two successive selective growths by metal organic chemical vapor deposition reactor, high quality semipolar (11-22) GaN with a homogenous defect repartition over the surface was achieved. The procedure starts with a first selective growth on a patterned sapphire substrate, leading to continuous stripes of three dimensional (3D) GaN crystals of low defect density. Then, a second selective growth step is achieved by depositing a SiNx nano-mask and a low temperature GaN nano-layer on the top of the GaN stripes. Hereby, we demonstrate an original way to obtain a homoepitaxial selective growth on 3D GaN crystals by taking advantage of the different crystallographic planes available. Basal stacking faults (BSFs) are generated during this second selective growth but could be eliminated by using a three-step growth method in which elongated voids are created above the defective area. For a fully coalesced sample grown using the 2 step method, dislocation density of 1.2 × 108 cm−2 and BSFs density of 154 cm−1 with a homogenous distribution have been measured by cathodoluminescence at 80 K. Consequently the material quality of this coalesced semipolar layer is comparable to the one of polar GaN on c-plane sapphire.

Capping green emitting (Ga,In)N quantum wells with (Al,Ga)N: impact on structural and optical properties

The difference of growth temperatures between InGaN quantum wells and GaN barriers has detrimental effects on the properties of the wells. Different capping processes of InGaN quantum well with a thin AlGaN layer have been investigated to prevent these effects. Both structural and optical properties of the samples, grown on c-plane sapphire substrates by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy, were studied through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray diffraction and room temperature photoluminescence. The average quantum well thickness and its indium composition were determined by digital processing of lattice fringes in cross-sectional TEM images. From the analysis of the well thickness distribution, it is shown that AlGaN as a capping layer helps to compensate an unwanted undulation at the upper InGaN QW-barrier interface. Moreover, when deposited at the same temperature as InGaN, the AlGaN layer is effective in avoiding or reducing the evaporation and/or diffusion of indium from InGaN wells, which results in the thinning of the well. It therefore helps to extend the emission wavelength up to 540 nm with a reduced degradation of the room temperature photoluminescence efficiency.

Optical properties and structural investigations of (11-22)-oriented GaN/Al0.5Ga0.5N quantum wells grown by molecular beam epitaxy

We have grown (11-22)-oriented GaN/Al0.5Ga0.5N quantum wells (QWs) using molecular beam epitaxy on GaN (11-22)-oriented templates grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy on m-plane oriented sapphire substrates. The performance of epitaxial growth of GaN/Al0.5Ga0.5N heterostructures on the semi-polar orientation (11-22) in terms of surface roughness and structural properties, i.e., strain relaxation mechanisms is discussed. In addition, high resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals very smooth QW interfaces. The photoluminescence of such samples are strictly originating from radiative recombination of free excitons for temperatures above 100 K. At high temperature, the population of localized excitons, moderately trapped (5 meV) at low temperature, is negligible.

Monolithic white light emitting diodes using a (Ga,In)N-based light converter

Commercially available inorganic white light emitting diodes (LEDs) are essentially based on the combination of a blue InGaN based LED chip covered by a long wavelength emitting (yellow, red) phosphor. We propose to avoid this step of phosphor deposition by taking advantage of the fact that yellow to red emission can be achieved using InGaN alloys. By stacking an InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well (QW) emitting in the yellow, acting as a light converter, and a short wavelength blue-violet pump LED grown on top, white light emission can be obtained. Furthermore, if we extend the emission spectrum of the light converter into the red, a warm white light color is demonstrated when a pump LED is grown on top. However, the high In content InGaN QWs of the light converter have a low thermal stability and the QW efficiency tends to degrade during the growth of the pump LED. Three different solutions are explored to avoid the thermal degradation of the light converter. The monolithic LED structures were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), by a combination of both MBE and metal-organic chemical vapor phase epitaxy (MOCVD), or by a low temperature full-MOCVD process. The best results are obtained using a complete MOCVD growth process. The structure and the MOCVD growth conditions are specifically adapted in order to avoid the thermal degradation of the large In composition InGaN QWs emitting at long wavelength during the growth of the subsequent layers.