Y. El Gmili

Bandgap energy bowing parameter of strained and relaxed InGaN layers

This paper focuses on the determination of the bandgap energy bowing parameter of strained and relaxed InxGa1−xN layers. Samples are grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy on GaN template substrate for indium compositions in the range of 0<x<0.25. The bangap emission energy is characterized by cathodoluminescence and the indium composition as well as the strain state are deduced from high resolution X-ray diffraction measurements. The experimental variation of the bangap emission energy with indium content can be described by the standard quadratic equation, fitted using a relative least square method and qualified with a chi square test. Our approach leads to values of the bandgap energy bowing parameter equal to 2.87±0.20eV and 1.32±0.28eV for relaxed and strained layers (determined for the first time since the revision of the InN bandgap energy in 2002), respectively. The corresponding modified Vegard’s laws describe accurately the indium content dependence of the bandgap emission energy in InGaN alloy and for the whole range of indium content. Finally, as an example of application, 3D mapping of indium content in a thick InGaN layer is deduced from bandgap energy measurements using cathodoluminescence and a corresponding hyperspectral map.

Characteristics of the surface microstructures in thick InGaN layers on GaN

This paper focuses on a comparative study of optical, morphological, microstructural and microcompositional properties of typical InGaN samples which exhibit V-defects but also two additional surface defects features, referred to as inclusion#1 (Ic1) and inclusion#2 (Ic2). HR-XRD, AFM, SEM, STEM and EDX are used to characterize such defects. Furthermore, hyperspectral mapping, spot mode and depth-resolved CL measurements provided useful informations on the optical emission properties and microstructure. The main characteristic of Ic1 luminescence peak is a decrease in intensity and no obvious shift in the CL peak position when going from the outside to the middle of such defect. More interesting was Ic2 which is shown to be local 3D top surface In-rich InGaN domains embedded in an homogeneous InGaN matrix. In fact, this study pointed out that close to the interface GaN/InGaN, it exists a 30 nm thick fully strained InGaN layer with constant indium incorporation. As the growth proceeds spatial fluctuation of the In content is observed and local In-rich 3D domains are shown to emerge systematically around threading dislocations terminations.

Nanoscale selective area growth of thick, dense, uniform, In-rich, InGaN nanostructure arrays on GaN/sapphire template

Uniform, dense, single-phase, 150 nm thick indium gallium nitride (InGaN) nanostructure (nanorods and nanostripes) arrays have been obtained on gallium nitride templates, by metal organic chemical vapor deposition and nanoscale selective area growth on silicon dioxide patterned masks. The 150 nm thick InGaN nanorods have a perfect hexagonal pyramid shape with relatively homogenous indium concentration up to 22%, which is almost twice as high as in planar InGaN grown in the same condition, and luminesce at 535 nm. InGaN nanostripes feature c-axis oriented InGaN in the core which is covered by InGaN grown along semi-polar facets with higher In content. Transmission electron microscope and sub micron beam X-rays diffraction investigations confirm that both InGaN nanostructures are mostly defect free and monocrystalline. The ability to grow defect-free thick InGaN nanostructures with reduced polarization and high indium incorporation offers a solution to develop high efficiency InGaN-based solar cells.

Highly sensitive detection of NO2 gas using BGaN/GaN superlattice-based double Schottky junction sensors

We report a double Schottky junction gas sensor based on a BGaN/GaN superlattice and Pt contacts. NO2 is detected at concentrations from 4.5 to 450 ppm with current responsivity of 6.7 mA/(cm2 × ppm) at 250 °C with a response time of 5 s. The sensor is also selective against NH3 at least for concentrations less than 15 ppm. The BGaN layer at the surface increases surface trap density and trap depth, which improves responsivity and high temperature stability while the GaN layer improves the magnitude of the diode current. The BGaN layers columnar growth structure also causes a Pt morphology that improves O2− diffusion.

Nanoselective area growth and characterization of dislocation-free InGaN nanopyramids on AlN buffered Si(111) templates

We report the metal organic chemical vapor deposition growth of dislocation-free 100 nm thick hexagonal InGaN nanopyramid arrays with up to 33% of indium content by nano-selective area growth on patterned AlN/Si (111) substrates. InGaN grown on SiO2 patterned templates exhibit high selectivity. Their single crystal structure is confirmed by scanning transmission electron microscope combined with an energy dispersive X-ray analysis, which also reveals the absence of threading dislocations in the InGaN nanopyramids due to elastic strain relaxation mechanisms. Cathodoluminescence measurements on a single InGaN nanopyramid clearly show an improvement of the optical properties when compared to planar InGaN grown under the same conditions. The good structural, morphological, and optical quality of the InGaN nanostructures grown on AlN/Si indicates that the nano-selective area growth technology is attractive for the realization of site-controlled indium-rich InGaN nanostructure-based devices and can also be tran...

AlGaN-based MQWs grown on a thick relaxed AlGaN buffer on AlN templates emitting at 285 nm

We report on the growth of Al0.57Ga0.43N/Al0.38Ga0.63N MQWs grown on a relaxed Al0.58Ga0.42N buffer on AlN template by Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy. The MQW structure is designed so that the strain in the quantum wells induced by their lattice mismatch with barriers is sufficient to enhance TE polarized emission (E-field ⊥ c). A 630-nm thick relaxed Al0.58Ga0.42N buffer grown on AlN template serves as a pseudo-substrate to release the strain in the barriers and to avoid related defects or composition fluctuation in the active region. Thin (< 2 nm) quantum wells allow preservation of the overlapping of electron and hole wavefunctions considering the strong quantum-confined Stark effect in AlGaN-based MQW structures. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) coupled to energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis is used to optimize the growth conditions and to determine the composition of wells and barriers. Optical characterizations of the grown structure reveal a well-defined band-edge emission peak at 285 nm. Based on macro-transmission measurements and simulations, the absorption coefficient of the wells is estimated to be 3 × 105 cm−1 (E-field ⊥ c), attesting that the oscillator strength is preserved for these AlGaN MQWs with high Al content, which is promising for efficient surface-emitting devices in the deep ultra-violet (DUV) region.

Mask effect in nano-selective- area-growth by MOCVD on thickness enhancement, indium incorporation, and emission of InGaN nanostructures on AlN-buffered Si(111) substrates

In this paper, we studied the effect of temperature and mask margin size on optical emission and growth rate enhancement (GRE) of InGaN grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and nano-selective-area growth (NSAG) on AlN-buffered Si(111). For all mask geometries and temperatures, NSAG produced 90% single-crystal InGaN nanopyramids with smooth facets, perfect selectivity, and 1.2 times the indium composition enhancement (23% and 33% for 800 °C and 780 °C NSAG, respectively) as found in non-NSAG planar growth at the same conditions. The vapor phase diffusion model was found to be insufficient to predict NSAG GRE, and we propose an explanation combining mechanisms from the vapor phase diffusion with surface migration models. A two-peak emission was noted for all NSAG. The total and relative intensities of the two peaks was found to be strongly dependent upon both temperature and local indium precursor concentration during growth, the latter of which varies based on mask margin size. In NSAG grown at lower temperature and with higher local indium precursor concentration, the bluer of the two peaks was more dominant and the overall emission intensity was higher. InGaN nanopyramids were chemically uniform, ruling out phase separation as origin of the double-peak. We propose an explanation based on the sudden transition from strained to relaxed growth moderated by temperature and local indium precursor concentration.

Scale-up of the chemical lift-off of (In)GaN-based p-i-n junctions from sapphire substrates using sacrificial ZnO template layers

(In)GaN p-i-n structures were grown by MOVPE on both GaN- and ZnO-coated c-sapphire substrates. XRD studies of the as-grown layers revealed that a strongly c-axis oriented wurtzite crystal structure was obtained on both templates and that there was a slight compressive strain in the ZnO underlayer which increased after GaN overgrowth. The InGaN peak position gave an estimate of 13.6at% for the indium content in the active layer. SEM and AFM revealed that the top surface morphologies were similar for both substrates, with an RMS roughness (5 μm x 5 μm) of about 10 nm. Granularity appeared slightly coarser (40nm for the device grown on ZnO vs 30nm for the device grown on the GaN template) however. CL revealed a weaker GaN near band edge UV emission peak and a stronger broad defect-related visible emission band for the structure grown on the GaN template. Only a strong ZnO NBE UV emission was observed for the sample grown on the ZnO template. Quarter-wafer chemical lift-off (CLO) of the InGaN-based p-i-n structures from the sapphire substrate was achieved by temporary-bonding the GaN surface to rigid glass support with wax and then selectively dissolving the ZnO in 0.1M HCl. XRD studies revealed that the epitaxial nature and strong preferential c-axis orientation of the layers had been maintained after lift-off. This demonstration of CLO scale-up, without compromising the crystallographic integrity of the (In)GaN p-i-n structure opens up the perspective of transferring GaN based devices off of sapphire substrates industrially.

Novel method for reclaim/reuse of bulk GaN substrates using sacrificial ZnO release layers

Free-standing (0002)-oriented GaN substrates (φ = 2”) were coated with 200 nm of ZnO and used as templates for the growth of GaN thin films. SEM and AFM revealed that such GaN layers had a relatively homogenous surface morphology with an RMS roughness (5 μm x 5 μm) of less than 4nm. XRD studies revealed strained ZnO growth on the GaN substrate and the reproduction of the substrate rocking curve for the GaN overlayers after only a hundred nm of growth, thus indicating that the GaN films had superior crystallographic quality compared to those grown on sapphire or ZnO/sapphire substrates. Quarter-wafer areas of GaN were removed from the GaN substrate (by selective chemical etching away of the ZnO interlayer). The expensive GaN substrates were then reclaimed/reused (without the need for polishing) for a second cycle of ZnO and GaN growth, which gave similar XRD, SEM, CL and AFM results to the first cycle.