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Free carrier accumulation at cubic AlGaN/GaN heterojunctions

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3700968· OSTI ID:22025502
; ; ;  [1]; ; ;  [2]
  1. Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1504 (United States)
  2. Department of Physics, Universitaet Paderborn, D-33098 Paderborn (Germany)

Cubic Al{sub 0.3}Ga{sub 0.7}N/GaN heterostructures were grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on 3C-SiC (001) substrates. A profile of the electrostatic potential across the cubic-AlGaN/GaN heterojunction was obtained using electron holography in the transmission electron microscope. The experimental potential profile indicates that the unintentionally doped layers show n-type behavior and accumulation of free electrons at the interface with a density of 5.1 x 10{sup 11}/cm{sup 2}, about one order of magnitude less than in wurtzite AlGaN/GaN junctions. A combination of electron holography and cathodoluminescence measurements yields a conduction-to-valence band offset ratio of 5:1 for the cubic AlGaN/GaN interface, which also promotes the electron accumulation. Band diagram simulations show that the donor states in the AlGaN layer provide the positive charges that to a great extent balance the two-dimensional electron gas.

OSTI ID:
22025502
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 14 Vol. 100; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English