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Title: Enhanced internal quantum efficiency and light extraction efficiency from textured GaN/AlGaN quantum wells grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Journal Article · · Journal of Applied Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2179120· OSTI ID:20787979
; ; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215 (United States)

GaN/Al{sub 0.2}Ga{sub 0.8}N multiple quantum wells (MQWs) were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on randomly textured and atomically smooth (0001) GaN templates. Smooth and textured GaN templates were deposited on (0001) sapphire substrates by varying the III/V ratio and the substrate temperature during growth by the hydride vapor-phase epitaxy method. We find that the MQWs replicate the texture of the GaN template, which was found to have a Gaussian distribution. The peak photoluminescence intensity from the textured MQWs is always higher than from the smooth MQWs and for GaN (7 nm)/Al{sub 0.2}Ga{sub 0.8}N (8 nm) MQWs, it is 700 times higher than that from similarly produced MQWs on smooth GaN templates. This result is attributed partly to the enhancement in light extraction efficiency and partly to the enhancement in internal quantum efficiency. The origin of the increase in internal quantum efficiency is partly due to the reduction of the quantum-confined Stark effect, since the polarization vector intersects the quantum well (QW) planes at angles smaller than 90 deg. , and partly due to the charge redistribution in the QWs caused by the polarization component parallel to the planes of the QWs.

OSTI ID:
20787979
Journal Information:
Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 99, Issue 6; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2179120; (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English