Strain-balanced InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells

Journal Article · Mon Jul 21 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4890738· OSTI ID:22311118

Van Den Broeck, D. M.; Hosalli, A. M.; Bedair, S. M. ^[1]; Bharrat, D.; El-Masry, N. A. ^[2]

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1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States)
2. Department of Material Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States)

InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) structures suffer from a high amount of compressive strain in the InGaN wells and the accompanied piezoelectric field resulting in both a blue shift in emission and a reduction of emission intensity. We report the growth of In{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}N/GaN “strain-balanced” multiple quantum wells (SBMQWs) grown on thick In{sub y}Ga{sub 1−y}N templates for x > y by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. SBMQWs consist of alternating layers of In{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}N wells and GaN barriers under compressive and tensile stress, respectively, which have been lattice matched to a thick In{sub y}Ga{sub 1−y}N template. Growth of the In{sub y}Ga{sub 1−y}N template is also detailed in order to achieve thick, relaxed In{sub y}Ga{sub 1−y}N grown on GaN without the presence of V-grooves. When compared to conventional In{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}N/GaN MQWs grown on GaN, the SBMQW structures exhibit longer wavelength emission and higher emission intensity for the same InN mole fraction due to a reduction in the well strain and piezoelectric field. By matching the average lattice constant of the MQW active region to the lattice constant of the In{sub y}Ga{sub 1−y}N template, essentially an infinite number of periods can be grown using the SBMQW growth method without relaxation-related effects. SBMQWs can be utilized to achieve longer wavelength emission in light emitting diodes without the use of excess indium and can be advantageous in addressing the “green gap.”.

• OSTI ID: 22311118
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 3; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
BALANCES
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
CRYSTAL GROWTH
EMISSION
GALLIUM NITRIDES
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
INDIUM NITRIDES
LATTICE PARAMETERS
LAYERS
LIGHT EMITTING DIODES
ORGANOMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
PIEZOELECTRICITY
QUANTUM WELLS
REDUCTION
RELAXATION
STRAINS
STRESSES
WAVELENGTHS
YTTRIUM NITRIDES