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Title: Low-energy electro- and photo-emission spectroscopy of GaN materials and devices

Abstract

We report that in hot-electron semiconductor devices, carrier transport extends over a wide range of conduction states, which often includes multiple satellite valleys. Electrical measurements can hardly give access to the transport processes over such a wide range without resorting to models and simulations. An alternative experimental approach however exists which is based on low-energy electron spectroscopy and provides, in a number of cases, very direct and selective information on hot-electron transport mechanisms. Recent results obtained in GaN crystals and devices by electron emission spectroscopy are discussed. Using near-band-gap photoemission, the energy position of the first satellite valley in wurtzite GaN is directly determined. By electro-emission spectroscopy, we show that the measurement of the electron spectrum emitted from a GaN p-n junction and InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) under electrical injection of carriers provides a direct observation of transport processes in these devices. In particular, at high injected current density, high-energy features appear in the electro-emission spectrum of the LEDs showing that Auger electrons are being generated in the active region. Finally, these measurements allow us identifying the microscopic mechanism responsible for droop which represents a major hurdle for widespread adoption of solid-state lighting.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [4];  [2];  [1];  [3]
  1. CNRS-Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau (France); Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States)
  2. Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States)
  3. CNRS-Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau (France)
  4. Seoul Viosys Co. Ltd., Won-Si Dong, Danwon-Gu, Ansan City (Korea)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Energy Efficient Materials (CEEM)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1369764
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0001009
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Applied Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 117; Journal Issue: 11; Related Information: CEEM partners with the University of California, Santa Barbara (lead); Purdue University; Los Alamos National Laboratory; National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats

Piccardo, Marco, Iveland, Justin, Martinelli, Lucio, Nakamura, Shuji, Choi, Joo Won, Speck, James S., Weisbuch, Claude, and Peretti, Jacques. Low-energy electro- and photo-emission spectroscopy of GaN materials and devices. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4913928.
Piccardo, Marco, Iveland, Justin, Martinelli, Lucio, Nakamura, Shuji, Choi, Joo Won, Speck, James S., Weisbuch, Claude, & Peretti, Jacques. Low-energy electro- and photo-emission spectroscopy of GaN materials and devices. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4913928
Piccardo, Marco, Iveland, Justin, Martinelli, Lucio, Nakamura, Shuji, Choi, Joo Won, Speck, James S., Weisbuch, Claude, and Peretti, Jacques. Mon . "Low-energy electro- and photo-emission spectroscopy of GaN materials and devices". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4913928. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1369764.
@article{osti_1369764,
title = {Low-energy electro- and photo-emission spectroscopy of GaN materials and devices},
author = {Piccardo, Marco and Iveland, Justin and Martinelli, Lucio and Nakamura, Shuji and Choi, Joo Won and Speck, James S. and Weisbuch, Claude and Peretti, Jacques},
abstractNote = {We report that in hot-electron semiconductor devices, carrier transport extends over a wide range of conduction states, which often includes multiple satellite valleys. Electrical measurements can hardly give access to the transport processes over such a wide range without resorting to models and simulations. An alternative experimental approach however exists which is based on low-energy electron spectroscopy and provides, in a number of cases, very direct and selective information on hot-electron transport mechanisms. Recent results obtained in GaN crystals and devices by electron emission spectroscopy are discussed. Using near-band-gap photoemission, the energy position of the first satellite valley in wurtzite GaN is directly determined. By electro-emission spectroscopy, we show that the measurement of the electron spectrum emitted from a GaN p-n junction and InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) under electrical injection of carriers provides a direct observation of transport processes in these devices. In particular, at high injected current density, high-energy features appear in the electro-emission spectrum of the LEDs showing that Auger electrons are being generated in the active region. Finally, these measurements allow us identifying the microscopic mechanism responsible for droop which represents a major hurdle for widespread adoption of solid-state lighting.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4913928},
journal = {Journal of Applied Physics},
number = 11,
volume = 117,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 16 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Mon Mar 16 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

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