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This article is aimed at understanding of the complex design of metalorganic chemical vapour deposition ‐grown InGaN‐based red light‐emitting diode (LED) structure. The contribution of different elements of red LED structure to the stress distribution and threading dislocation density (TDD) evolution is theoretically investigated. For this purpose a self‐consistent modeling of the structure growth process is used, taking into account stress‐modulated indium incorporation, mismatch stress relaxation by threading dislocations and V‐pits, and nucleation of new threading dislocations. The simulation results, consisting of composition, stress, and TDD profiles, are then utilized for modeling of device operation, which allows to analyze contribution of different elements to the heterostructure operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tailoring the electronic and optical properties of nitride‐based alloys for optoelectronic device applications in the ultraviolet and red spectral range has attracted significant attention in recent years. Adding boron nitride (BN) to indium gallium nitride (In,Ga)N alloys can help to control the lattice mismatch between (In,Ga)N and GaN and may thus allow to reduce strain‐related defect formation. However, understanding of the impact of BN on the electronic properties of III‐N alloys, in particular the influence of experimentally observed boron atom clustering, is sparse. This work presents first‐principles calculations investigating the electronic properties of highly mismatched (B,In)N alloys with boron contents between 2% and 7%. Special attention is paid to the impact of the alloy microstructure. While the results show that the lattice constants of such alloys largely agree with lattice constants determined from a Vegard approximation, the electronic structure strongly depends on the local boron atom configuration. For instance, if boron atoms are dispersed throughout the structure and are not sharing nitrogen atoms, the band gap of (B,In)N alloys is largely unaffected and stays close to the gap of pristine InN. However, in the case of boron atom clustering, i.e., when boron atoms are sharing nitrogen atoms, the band gap can be strongly reduced, often leading to a metallic state in (B,In)N alloys. These strong band gap reductions are mainly driven by carrier localization effects in the valence band. Our calculations thus show that the electronic structure of (B,In)N alloys strongly depends on the alloy microstructure and that boron atom clustering plays an important role in understanding the electronic and optical properties of these emerging materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Density functional theory (DFT) is employed based on the generalized gradient approximation (GGA), including the Hubbard (U) parameter, to investigate the modification of the electronic properties of GaN nanowires (NWs) by Eu dopants introduced via Eu‐associated defect complexes to explore the origin of magnetic characteristics. These findings show that incorporating Eu dopants, including Eu‐intrinsic defect complexes, in GaN NWs leads to a significant change in the electronic properties of GaN, as evident from p‐f state hybridization, resulting in unique magnetic characteristics. However, while Ga‐vacancies (VGa) in Eu‐doped GaN NWs impart a significant magnetic moment on N atoms, N‐vacancies (VN) produce a negligible effect on the magnetic properties of NWs. To predict the magnetic exchange effect, two Eu3+ ions are introduced in the NWs, showing that the complex with two Eu atoms and Ga‐vacancy (2Eu‐VGa) induces stable ferromagnetism above room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research project intends to enhance solar cells' power and conversion efficiency based on InN/p-Si utilizing the PC1D simulator. A broad direct bandgap of Indium nitride (0.65 eV) makes it suitable for various applications. The InN-based solar cells show an excellent candidate for generating a higher efficiency device, incorporating well-established silicon substrate technology. The open-source PC1D is well-known software for simulating future solar devices without the need to fabricate real devices. The simulated area was adjusted to 10 cm². The Si substrate and InN layer thicknesses were designed to be 350 µm and 1×10-3 µm, respectively. The n- and p-regions have doping concentrations of 1×1021 cm-3 and 1×1017 cm-3, respectively. This work analyses the influence of geometrical and technological aspects such as both n-p regions thickness, doping concentrations, and temperature dependency to enhance the conversion efficiency of these structures under the AM1.5G solar spectrum with intensity 0.1 W/cm2. It has been demonstrated that the growth of high-quality InN layers and p-type doping persists to be problematic. It appears challenging to find the most suitable material substrate for InN solar. To produce compatible solar cells with simple structures and cost-effective, however, extremely thin layers of n-layer material are required due to the high absorption coefficient of type III-nitrides. The results illustrate that by adjusting the optimized parameter at room temperature to the lowest temperature (200 K), the solar efficiency may increase up from 19.18% to 27.67%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the optical properties of heterostructured InGaN platelets aiming at red emission, intended for use as nano-scaled light-emitting diodes. The focus is on the presence of non-radiative emission in the form of dark line defects. We have performed the study using hyperspectral cathodoluminescence imaging. The platelets were grown on a template consisting of InGaN pyramids, flattened by chemical mechanical polishing. These templates are defect free, whereas the dark line defects are introduced in the lower barrier and tend to propagate through all the subsequent layers, as revealed by the imaging of different layers in the structure. We conclude that the dark line defects are caused by stacking mismatch boundaries introduced by multiple seeding and step bunching at the edges of the as-polished, dome shaped templates. To avoid these defects, we suggest that the starting material must be flat rather than dome shaped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface morphological development during epitaxial overgrowth of AlGaN on microhoneycomb (μ‐HC) patterned relaxed AlGaN/AlN/sapphire templates is studied. Optimization of μ‐pattern design and influence of various growth parameters are carried out in search for conditions resulting in coalescence of μ‐HC structures into planar layers or ordered arrays of V‐pits with well‐defined crystallographic facets. It is found that in a wide range of growth conditions, formation of V‐pits with semipolar facets occurs where their crystallographic orientation is defined by the geometry of the initial μ‐HC patterns and growth conditions. High‐temperature and high V/III ratio conditions are found to favor c‐plane expansion and allow recovery of planarity on the patterned templates. Systematic study of surface morphology evolution in conditions favoring 1) semipolar facets formation and 2) coalescence is carried out and possible mechanisms underpinning the observed behaviors have been proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) have been demonstrated to be a suitable candidate for IR detection applications. These detectors attracted increasing interest due to their design flexibility and broad spectral absorption from short wave (SWIR) to long wave infrared (LWIR) and high uniformity. In this paper, we demonstrate device design, growth, and characterization of a p-type AlxGa1-xN/GaN quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) for near IR absorption with 1.55 μm peak grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Utilizing a p-QWIP allows for normal incidence light absorption due to the strong band mixing between heavy and light holes at k ≠ 0 which eliminates the need for light couplers such as grating and facilitates the fabrication of large focal plane arrays (FPAs). We developed MOCVD growth conditions to achieve nm-thick and smooth interfaces in QWIP. Sample characterizations including atomic force microscopy (AFM) show uniform surface morphology with RMS roughness ∼0.5 nm. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) was used to characterize layer thicknesses and interface roughness. We demonstrate energy band diagram simulation of an AlxGa1-xN/GaN p-QWIP by considering polarization chargers to determine the accurate band offset and adjust the absorption wavelength (ISBT energies). Our results show the feasibility of MOCVD-grown p-type AlxGa1-xN/GaN QWIP for IR absorption and open a pathway for further research and growth development on III-Nitride p-QWIPs, allowing growth and fabrication of large focal plane arrays.

In this paper, we report DC and RF analysis of a T‐gate AlN/β‐Ga2O3 high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) by optimizing the gate‐drain distance (LGD) and two T‐gate dimensions given by the—head‐length (LHL) and the foot‐length (LFL). A two‐dimensional (2‐D) physics‐based device simulator attuned with experimental results is used to perform the analysis. The AlN/β‐Ga2O3 HEMT achieves a high two‐dimensional electron gas (2DEG) density of ~3 × 1013 cm−2, which is attributed to large spontaneous as well as piezoelectric polarization components of the 10 nm AlN thick barrier layer. 2DEG density is also numerically validated using widely used polarization model for III nitrides. It is demonstrated that a highly scaled, both lateral and vertical, device with optimized T‐gate dimensions achieves higher blocking voltage (VBR), low on‐resistance (RON), higher cut‐off frequency (fT) and higher maximum oscillation frequency (fMAX), simultaneously. Consequently, AlN/β‐Ga2O3 HEMT achieves a low specific‐on resistance (RON,sp) of 0.1 mΩ cm2 and an off‐state breakdown voltage of 904 V, which corresponds to the record power figure‐of‐merit (PFoM) of ~8172 MW/cm2. Furthermore, fT of 73 GHz and fMAX of 142 GHz are estimated. These results—low power conduction loss along with higher blocking voltage, and superior RF parameters show the potential of the analyzed device T‐gate AlN/β‐Ga2O3 HEMT for high‐power switching and RF applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a thorough numerical investigation focused on optimizing the efficiency of quantum-well intermediate-band solar cells (QW-IBSCs) based on III-nitride materials. The optimization strategy encompasses manipulating confinement potential energy, controlling hydrostatic pressure, adjusting compositions, and varying thickness. The built-in electric fields in (In, Ga)N alloys and heavy-hole levels are considered to enhance the results' accuracy. The finite element method (FEM) and Python 3.8 are employed to numerically solve the Schrödinger equation within the effective mass theory framework. This study reveals that meticulous design can achieve a theoretical photovoltaic efficiency of quantum-well intermediate-band solar cells (QW-IBSCs) that surpasses the Shockley–Queisser limit. Moreover, reducing the thickness of the layers enhances the light-absorbing capacity and, therefore, contributes to efficiency improvement. Additionally, the shape of the confinement potential significantly influences the device's performance. This work is critical for society, as it represents a significant advancement in sustainable energy solutions, holding the promise of enhancing both the efficiency and accessibility of solar power generation. Consequently, this research stands at the forefront of innovation, offering a tangible and impactful contribution toward a greener and more sustainable energy future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Wurtzite‐type Al1−xScxN solid solutions grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition are for the first time confirmed to be ferroelectric. The film with 230 nm thickness and x = 0.15 exhibits a coercive field of 5.5 MV cm−1 at a measurement frequency of 1.5 kHz. The single crystal quality and homogeneous chemical composition of the film are confirmed by X‐ray diffraction and spectroscopic methods such as time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. Annular bright field scanning transmission electron microscopy serves to prove the ferroelectric polarization inversion at the unit cell level. The single crystal quality further allows to image the large‐scale domain pattern of a wurtzite‐type ferroelectric for the first time, revealing a predominantly cone‐like domain shape along the c‐axis of the material. As in previous work, this again implies the presence of strong polarization discontinuities along this crystallographic axis, which can be suitable for current transport. The domains are separated by narrow domain walls, for which an upper thickness limit of 3 nm is deduced but which can potentially be atomically sharp. The authors are confident that these results will advance the commencement of the integration of wurtzite‐type ferroelectrics to GaN as well as generally III‐N‐based heterostructures and devices.

This computational investigation delves into the electronic and optical attributes of InGaN/GaN nanostructures subjected to both harmonic and anharmonic confinement potentials, coupled with the influence of a nonresonant intense laser field (ILF). The theoretical framework incorporates higher-order anharmonic terms, specifically quartic and sextic terms. The solutions to the Schrödinger equation have been computed employing the finite element method and the effective mass theory. Moreover, linear and third-order nonlinear optical absorption coefficients are derived via a density matrix expansion. Our analysis reveals the feasibility of manipulating electronic and optical properties by adjusting confinement potential parameters, system attributes, and laser field intensity. In addition, the ILF induces remarkable modifications, characterized by reduced resonance peak amplitudes and a blue shift in absorption coefficients. Intriguingly, regardless of potential harmonicity, the impact of incident electromagnetic intensity is notably more pronounced in the absence of the ILF. These findings hold significant promise for advancing theoretical predictions, providing valuable insights into the intricate interplay between confinement potentials, laser fields, and their effects on electronic and optical behaviors within nanostructures.

The electronic structure of the epitaxial GaN/Si(111) layers and the Li/GaN/Si(111) interface with a monolayer Li coverage has been studied in situ under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The experiments were carried out using photo electron spectroscopy with synchrotron radiation in the photon energy range 75–850 eV. The photoemission spectra in the valence band and the core levels of Ga 3d, N 1s, and Li 1s are studied for the monolayer Li coating. It is found that Li adsorption causes a significant decrease in the intensity of the photoemission line of the intrinsic surface state and the appearance of an induced surface state due to charge transfer between the adsorbed Li layer and surface Ga atoms. It has been found that the GaN/Si(111) surface has predominantly Ga polarity. The Li/GaN/Si(111) interface has a semiconductor character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self-assembly of heteroepitaxial GaN nanowires using either molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) or metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) mostly results in wafer-scale ensembles with ultrahigh (>10 μ m−2) or ultralow (<1 μ m−2) densities, respectively. A simple means to tune the density of well-developed nanowire ensembles between these two extremes is generally lacking. Here, we examine the self-assembly of SiN x patches on TiN(111) substrates which are eventually acting as seeds for the growth of GaN nanowires. We first found that if prepared by reactive sputtering, the TiN surface is characterized by {100} facets for which the GaN incubation time is extremely long. Fast GaN nucleation is only obtained after deposition of a sub-monolayer of SiN x atoms prior to the GaN growth. By varying the amount of pre-deposited SiN x , the GaN nanowire density could be tuned by three orders of magnitude with excellent uniformity over the entire wafer, bridging the density regimes conventionally attainable by direct self-assembly with MBE or MOVPE. The analysis of the nanowire morphology agrees with a nucleation of the GaN nanowires on nanometric SiN x patches. The photoluminescence analysis of single freestanding GaN nanowires reveals a band edge luminescence dominated by excitonic transitions that are broad and blue shifted compared to bulk GaN, an effect that is related to the small nanowire diameter and to the presence of a thick native oxide. The approach developed here can be principally used for tuning the density of most III–V semiconductors nucleus grown on inert surfaces like 2D materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the use of cathodoluminescence (CL) hyperspectral mapping in the quantification of the AlGaN alloy composition in graded buffer structures is explored. The quantification takes advantage of the known parabolic dependence of the AlGaN bandgap on the alloy composition allowing the AlGaN near‐band‐edge (NBE) emission energy recorded from CL to be converted to a composition. The proposed quantification method is first applied to cleaved cross‐sections of two nominally step‐graded AlGaN buffer structures each containing five AlGaN layers with different compositions. By comparing the compositions obtained from CL to those calculated using X‐ray diffraction, a close agreement between values from both techniques is observed. However, due to a change in the bowing parameter, some deviation is observed for layers with compositions near 75%. The method is then applied to cleaved cross‐sections of an AlGaN buffer whose group III precursor flow molar ratio is varied linearly throughout the growth. Herein, the hyperspectral nature of the CL datasets is exploited such as to produce composition maps by converting the relevant AlGaN‐NBE emission energy at each pixel of the CL data to a composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezoelectric III–N semiconductor nanostructures are of increasing interest to be used for sensor technologies and energy harvesting. Within this group of materials, AlN is known for the largest bulk piezoelectric constant, but piezoelectric properties of AlN nanostructures are not well studied. In the current work, AlN nanostructures are fabricated by reactive magnetron sputter deposition at normal and glancing angle orientations on Si substrates covered by a conductive TiN film. Ag nanoparticles are used to facilitate nucleation of the nanostructures, which are found to have a bud-like shape consisting of individual pillars/lamellae. These pillars exhibit a wurtzite-like hexagonal lattice and preferential growth direction along the c-axis. Piezoresponse force microscopy is used to characterize the properties of the nanostructures. Giant values of the piezoresponse coefficient are measured, reaching up to 6 times higher values compared to AlN bulk and thin films. The obtained results create a basis for optimization of the fabrication parameters enabling tuning of the AlN piezoelectric properties and further development of the technology toward the formation of large-area nanoscale matrixes for energy generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of strained substrates may overcome indium incorporation limits without inducing plastic relaxation in InGaN quantum wells, and this is particularly important for short-period InGaN/GaN superlattices. By incorporating elastic strain into these heterostructures, their optoelectronic behavior is modified. Our study employed density functional theory calculations to investigate the variation in the band-gap energy of short-period InGaN/GaN superlattices that comprise pseudomorphic quantum wells with a thickness of just one monolayer. Heterostructures with equibiaxially strained GaN barriers were compared with respective ones with relaxed barriers. The findings reveal a reduction of the band gap for lower indium contents, which is attributed to the influence of the highly strained nitrogen sublattice. However, above mid-range indium compositions, the situation is reversed, and the band gap increases with the indium content. This phenomenon is attributed to the reduction of the compressive strain in the quantum wells caused by the tensile strain of the barriers. Our study also considered local indium clustering induced by phase separation as another possible modifier of the band gap. However, unlike the substrate-controlled strain, this was not found to exert a significant influence on the band gap. Overall, this study provides important insights into the behavior of the band-gap energy of strained superlattices toward optimizing the performance of optoelectronic devices based on InGaN/GaN heterostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes GaN/AlN heterostructures for ultraviolet-C (UVC) emitters with multiple (up to 400 periods) two-dimensional (2D)-quantum disk/quantum well structures with the same GaN nominal thicknesses of 1.5 and 16 ML-thick AlN barrier layers, which were grown by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy in a wide range of gallium and activated nitrogen flux ratios (Ga/N2*) on c-sapphire substrates. An increase in the Ga/N2* ratio from 1.1 to 2.2 made it possible to change the 2D-topography of the structures due to a transition from the mixed spiral and 2D-nucleation growth to a purely spiral growth. As a result, the emission energy (wavelength) could be varied from 5.21 eV (238 nm) to 4.68 eV (265 nm) owing to the correspondingly increased carrier localization energy. Using electron-beam pumping with a maximum pulse current of 2 A at an electron energy of 12.5 keV, a maximum output optical power of 50 W was achieved for the 265 nm structure, while the structure emitting at 238 nm demonstrated a power of 10 W. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group III-nitrides have attracted significant attention in recent years for their wide tunable band-gaps and excellent optoelectronic capabilities, which are advantageous for several applications including light-emitting diodes, lasers, photodetectors, and large-size low-cost power electronic devices. However, conventional epitaxy accompanied by the covalent bond formation renders the transfer of nitride epilayers difficult, thereby limiting the application potential of nitrides in wearable and flexible electronics. Furthermore, interfacial covalent bonds also limit substrate selection and hinder the development of heterogeneous integration between nitrides and other material systems. 2D materials can mitigate these problems significantly. On the one hand, due to the weak van der Waals forces between the layers of 2D materials, influences of lattice mismatch can be avoided to improve crystal quality. On the other hand, delamination and transfer of nitride epilayers can be achieved easily. Therefore, this study focuses on providing comprehensive guidelines regarding the exfoliation of epitaxial layers using 2D materials to provide new design freedoms for nitride devices. Different 2D buffers and release layers have also been discussed. Furthermore, the limitations, promising solutions, future directions, and applicability of this strategy to flexible nitride devices are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ScAlMgO4 (SAM) is a promising substrate material for group III-nitride semiconductors. SAM has a lower lattice mismatch with III-nitride materials compared to conventionally used sapphire (Al2O3) and silicon substrates. Bulk SAM substrate has the issues of high cost and lack of large area substrates. Utilizing solid-phase epitaxy to transform an amorphous SAM on a sapphire substrate into a crystalline form is a cost-efficient and scalable approach. Amorphous SAM layers were deposited on 0001-oriented Al2O3 by sputtering and crystallized by annealing at a temperature greater than 850 °C. Annealing under suboptimal annealing conditions results in a larger volume fraction of a competing spinel phase (MgAl2O4) exhibiting themselves as crystal facets on the subsequently grown InGaN layers during MOCVD growth. InGaN on SAM layers demonstrated both a higher intensity and emission redshift compared to the co-loaded InGaN on GaN on sapphire samples, providing a promising prospect for achieving efficient longer-wavelength emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents results of investigations of electronic properties of undoped boron nitride (BN) films produced on Si substrates in the course of radio frequency (rf) PACVD process with boron triethyl (C2H5)3B as the boron source. The influence of the deposition process parameters on thickness and electronic properties (resistivity r, dielectric strength EBR) of BN films based on ellipsometry and I-V curve measurements at room temperature is studied. The obtained results show that proper selection of deposition process parameters allows BN layers with the required thickness and advantageous values of r and EBR to be fabricated. BN becomes therefore an interesting material for microelectronics applications.

This paper presents a thorough numerical investigation focused on optimizing the efficiency of quantum-well intermediate-band solar cells (QW-IBSCs) based on III-nitride materials. The optimization strategy encompasses manipulating confinement potential energy, controlling hydrostatic pressure, adjusting compositions, and varying thickness. The built-in electric fields in (In, Ga)N alloys and heavy-hole levels are considered to enhance the results’ accuracy. The finite element method (FEM) and Python 3.8 are employed to numerically solve the Schrödinger equation within the effective mass theory framework. This study reveals that meticulous design can achieve a theoretical photovoltaic efficiency of quantum-well intermediate-band solar cells (QW-IBSCs) that surpasses the Shockley–Queisser limit. Moreover, reducing the thickness of the layers enhances the light-absorbing capacity and, therefore, contributes to efficiency improvement. Additionally, the shape of the confinement potential significantly influences the device’s performance. This work is critical for society, as it represents a significant advancement in sustainable energy solutions, holding the promise of enhancing both the efficiency and accessibility of solar power generation. Consequently, this research stands at the forefront of innovation, offering a tangible and impactful contribution toward a greener and more sustainable energy future.

The electronic structure of the clean AlN surface and the ultrathin K/AIN interface has been studied in situ by synchrotron-based photoelectron spectroscopy using the photon energies in the range of 100–650 eV The effect of K adsorption was studied. Changes in the valence band and in the Al 2p, N 1s, and K 3p core levels spectra have been investigated using K submonolayer deposition. Modification of the surface electronic structure of the AlN caused by K adsorption is found to originate from the local interaction of N surface atoms and K adatoms. As a results the suppression of intrinsic surface state and appearance of a new induced state are observed. It was found the K-induced electron redistribution effect that causes the positive energy shift of N 1s surface peak and increasing N-ionicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ex situ sputtered AlN buffer and GaN epilayer grown on top of it by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition were studied comprehensively by a variety of techniques including atomic force microscope, high resolution x-ray diffraction, Raman and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterizations. It exhibited that the AlN buffer deposited by using sputtering technique could be oxidized with exposure in atmosphere. Such oxidation phenomenon significantly influences the characteristics of GaN epilayer, for example leading to poor surface morphology, high dislocation density, and large compressive stress. This study demonstrated the effect of oxygen impurities on GaN growth and has an important guiding significance for the growth of high-quality III-nitride related materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the recent progress to achieve air stable III-nitride photocathodes for applications as photon detectors. High conductivity p-type films are critically important to realize high quantum efficiency (QE) photocathodes with effective negative electron affinity (NEA) and downward surface band bending with narrow surface depletion width. Initial reports of III-nitride photocathodes utilize a Cs-surface activation to achieve effective NEA. To attain air stable, Cs-free photocathodes, novel energy band engineering has been shown using Si delta-doping and an n+-GaN cap on the surface of a Ga-polar p-GaN layer. Improvement of QE has been achieved utilizing the N-polarity of III-nitrides due to advantageous depletion and polarization charges at the surface. High QE > 25% has been demonstrated by improvements in p-type conductivity with improved Mg-dopant incorporation in N-polar hillock structures and by control over unintentional impurity incorporation and distribution. Further, the importance of achieving high p-type conductivity films is further shown through reviewing recent simulations of GaN photocathodes with varied band bending and hole concentrations. Through comparison of experimental photoemission with Monte Carlo simulations, band structure parameters such as electron effective mass in the conduction band valleys have been elucidated.

InGaN based c-plane blue LDs on strain relaxed template (SRT) with a reduced absorption loss was demonstrated. The loss is reduced from 27 cm−1 to 20 cm−1. Due to the lower loss, threshold current density is improved from 51.1 kA/cm2 to 43.7 kA/cm2, and slope efficiency is also increased by a factor of 1.22. The absorption loss from decomposition layer (DL) in SRT is confirmed to be a major extra loss source by both experimental and simulation results. With a higher indium content in buffer and waveguide layers, optical leakage into DL can be suppressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer atomistic simulations based on density functional theory were carried out to investigate strain induced phase transitions in aluminium nitride (AlN). The wurtzite to graphitic and graphitic to wurtzite transformations were investigated at the atomic level and their physical origins were identified. Both phase transitions were found to be of the first order. The wurtzite to graphitic phase transition takes place in the tensile regime at a strain value of +7%. The driving force for this transformation was identified to be an elastic instability induced by tensile strain. A hysteresis was demonstrated where the graphitic structure is separated from the wurtzite by a kinetic energy barrier. The origin of the observed hysteresis is due to the asymmetry of bond formation and bond breaking associated with the wurtzite to graphitic and graphitic to wurtzite transitions, respectively. A dynamic instability taking place at +3%, along the graphitic path, prevents the hysteresis to fully occur. The possible occurrence of the hysteresis has then to be taken into account when growing the graphitic phase by heteroepitaxy. Otherwise, maintaining the graphitic structure at low strain, through the hysteresis, offers new possibilities in the development of novel future applications., (© 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights, including for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved.)

This study examines the exciton dynamics in InGaN/GaN core-shell nanorods using time-resolved cathodoluminescence (TRCL), which provides nanometer-scale lateral spatial and tens of picoseconds temporal resolutions. The focus is on thick (>20 nm) InGaN layers on the non-polar, semi-polar and polar InGaN facets, which are accessible for study due to the unique nanorod geometry. Spectrally integrated TRCL decay transients reveal distinct recombination behaviours across these facets, indicating varied exciton lifetimes. By extracting fast and slow lifetime components and observing their temperature trends along with those of the integrated and peak intensity, the differences in behaviour were linked to variations in point defect density and the degree and density of localisation centres in the different regions. Further analysis shows that the non-polar and polar regions demonstrate increasing lifetimes with decreasing emission energy, attributed to an increase in the depth of localisation. This investigation provides insights into the intricate exciton dynamics in InGaN/GaN nanorods, offering valuable information for the design and development of optoelectronic devices., (Creative Commons Attribution license.)

The realization of semiconductor heterostructures marks a significant advancement beyond silicon technology, driving progress in high-performance optoelectronics and photonics, including high-brightness light emitters, optical communication, and quantum technologies. In less than a decade since 1997, nanowires research has expanded into new application-driven areas, highlighting a significant shift toward more challenging and exploratory research avenues. It is therefore essential to reflect on the past motivations for nanowires development, and explore the new opportunities it can enable. The advancement of heterogeneous integration using dissimilar substrates, materials, and nanowires-semiconductor/electrolyte operating platforms is ushering in new research frontiers, including the development of perovskite-embedded solar cells, photoelectrochemical (PEC) analog and digital photonic systems, such as PEC-based photodetectors and logic circuits, as well as quantum elements, such as single-photon emitters and detectors. This review offers rejuvenating perspectives on the progress of these group-III nitride nanowires, aiming to highlight the continuity of research toward high impact, use-inspired research directions in photonics and optoelectronics., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The use of strained substrates may overcome indium incorporation limits without inducing plastic relaxation in InGaN quantum wells, and this is particularly important for short-period InGaN/GaN superlattices. By incorporating elastic strain into these heterostructures, their optoelectronic behavior is modified. Our study employed density functional theory calculations to investigate the variation in the band-gap energy of short-period InGaN/GaN superlattices that comprise pseudomorphic quantum wells with a thickness of just one monolayer. Heterostructures with equibiaxially strained GaN barriers were compared with respective ones with relaxed barriers. The findings reveal a reduction of the band gap for lower indium contents, which is attributed to the influence of the highly strained nitrogen sublattice. However, above mid-range indium compositions, the situation is reversed, and the band gap increases with the indium content. This phenomenon is attributed to the reduction of the compressive strain in the quantum wells caused by the tensile strain of the barriers. Our study also considered local indium clustering induced by phase separation as another possible modifier of the band gap. However, unlike the substrate-controlled strain, this was not found to exert a significant influence on the band gap. Overall, this study provides important insights into the behavior of the band-gap energy of strained superlattices toward optimizing the performance of optoelectronic devices based on InGaN/GaN heterostructures.

This article describes GaN/AlN heterostructures for ultraviolet-C (UVC) emitters with multiple (up to 400 periods) two-dimensional (2D)-quantum disk/quantum well structures with the same GaN nominal thicknesses of 1.5 and 16 ML-thick AlN barrier layers, which were grown by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy in a wide range of gallium and activated nitrogen flux ratios (Ga/N2*) on c-sapphire substrates. An increase in the Ga/N2* ratio from 1.1 to 2.2 made it possible to change the 2D-topography of the structures due to a transition from the mixed spiral and 2D-nucleation growth to a purely spiral growth. As a result, the emission energy (wavelength) could be varied from 5.21 eV (238 nm) to 4.68 eV (265 nm) owing to the correspondingly increased carrier localization energy. Using electron-beam pumping with a maximum pulse current of 2 A at an electron energy of 12.5 keV, a maximum output optical power of 50 W was achieved for the 265 nm structure, while the structure emitting at 238 nm demonstrated a power of 10 W.

ScAlMgO4 (SAM) is a promising substrate material for group III-nitride semiconductors. SAM has a lower lattice mismatch with III-nitride materials compared to conventionally used sapphire (Al2O3) and silicon substrates. Bulk SAM substrate has the issues of high cost and lack of large area substrates. Utilizing solid-phase epitaxy to transform an amorphous SAM on a sapphire substrate into a crystalline form is a cost-efficient and scalable approach. Amorphous SAM layers were deposited on 0001-oriented Al2O3 by sputtering and crystallized by annealing at a temperature greater than 850 °C. Annealing under suboptimal annealing conditions results in a larger volume fraction of a competing spinel phase (MgAl2O4) exhibiting themselves as crystal facets on the subsequently grown InGaN layers during MOCVD growth. InGaN on SAM layers demonstrated both a higher intensity and emission redshift compared to the co-loaded InGaN on GaN on sapphire samples, providing a promising prospect for achieving efficient longer-wavelength emitters.

Strain engineering as one of the most powerful techniques for tuning optical and electronic properties of Ill-nitrides requires reliable methods for strain investigation. In this work, we reveal, that the linear model based on the experimental data limited to within a small range of biaxial strains (< 0.2%), which is widely used for the non-destructive Raman study of strain with nanometer-scale spatial resolution is not valid for the binary wurtzite-structure group-III nitrides GaN and AlN. Importantly, we found that the discrepancy between the experimental values of strain and those calculated via Raman spectroscopy increases as the strain in both GaN and AlN increases. Herein, a new model has been developed to describe the strain-induced Raman frequency shift in GaN and AlN for a wide range of biaxial strains (up to 2.5%). Finally, we proposed a new approach to correlate the Raman frequency shift and strain, which is based on the lattice coherency in the epitaxial layers of superlattice structures and can be used for a wide range of materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nearly lattice-matched InxGa1−xN/InyAl1−yN epi-layers were grown on a GaN template by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy with a metal modulation technique. The band-gap energy of InxGa1−xN QW in photoluminescence measurement was estimated to be 2.89 eV and the indium concentration (x) was 14.8%. In X-ray photoelectric spectroscopy, we obtained an indium concentration (y) in the InyAl1−yN barrier of 25.9% and the band-offset was estimated to be 4.31 eV. From the atomic layer measurements from high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, the lattice misfit between the InxGa1−xN QW and InyAl1−yN barrier was 0.71%. The lattice-matched InxGa1−xN/InyAl1−yN QWs can therefore be evaluated from the band profiles of III-nitrides for engineering of full-visible-light emitting diode in optoelectronic application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic structure of the AlN surface and the ultrathin K/AlN interface was studied using in situ photoelectron spectroscopy under ultra-high vacuum conditions. Core level spectra from the N 1s, Al 2p and K 3p and from the valence band were studied for the clean AlN surface and for the K/AlN interface in the regime of K submonolayer coatings. During K adsorption, significant changes in all the spectra were found. Surface states in the valence band region below the EVBM were found. It was determined that the K/AlN interface has the semiconductor-like character.

Gallium nitride (GaN) and indium gallium nitride (InGaN) nanostructures, and their nanocomposites with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) are prepared by solvothermal method and used as sensing materials for ammonia gas. The ammonia sensing characteristics are studied by coating the synthesized GaN and InGaN nanostructures, and their nanocomposites on interdigitated electrodes. The sensing parameters, i.e., sensing response, selectivity, and stability, are studied for various operating temperatures and relative humidity. The pristine GaN and InGaN exhibit a sensing response of 23.8% and 28.1% for 200 ppm concentration at 300 K, whereas the nanocomposites of GaN and InGaN show an increased response of 37.4% and 44.2%. This improvement in the nanocomposites maybe ascribed to the better conductivity, higher number of gas adsorption sites and reduced bandgap. It is found that these materials are an excellent choice for ammonia gas sensing application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The van der Waals (vdW) epitaxy of three-dimensional (3D) device structures on two-dimensional (2D) layers is particularly interesting for III-nitrides because it may relax lattice matching and thermal mismatch requirements and can allow convenient lift-off of epilayers and optoelectronic devices. In this article, we report the vdW epitaxy of 3D GaN/AlGaN on 2D h-BN grown on a-, c-, and m-plane sapphire substrates via metal–organic chemical vapor phase epitaxy. First, we study 2D h-BN layers grown on a-, c-, and m-plane sapphire to demonstrate the effect of the substrate on h-BN growth and h-BN alignment. We find that h-BN can align itself to its preferred c-axis with a slight misorientation on the m-plane sapphire substrate. However, the differences in crystallographic orientation, thermal expansion coefficient, and surface energy of differently oriented sapphire substrates strongly influence the surface morphology (good for a- and c-planes) and the adhesion of h-BN layers (lift-off only possible for the c-plane). Second, the vdW growth of 3D GaN/AlGaN on 2D h-BN grown on a-, c-, and m-planes of sapphire was investigated. High-resolution X-ray diffraction (HR-XRD) 2θ–ω scan and selected area electron diffraction pattern were used to demonstrate the misorientation of GaN/AlGaN grown on 2D h-BN/m-plane sapphire compared to polar GaN grown on 2D h-BN/a- and c-plane sapphire. It was found that the morphology and crystalline quality of GaN/AlGaN are directly affected by the 2D h-BN layers. These results provide initial insight into the impact of substrate orientation, thereby acting as a guide for the potential design of III-nitride/h-BN vdW epitaxy seeking to use nonpolar or semipolar planes of sapphire for optoelectronic devices such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), high-power electronics, and detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermodynamic stability of III-nitride monolayers is calculated using the phonon band structure. Electronic properties are computed using the generalized gradient approximation-Perdewâ€"Burkeâ€"Ernzerhof exchange-correlation potentials, which show the semiconducting behavior with bandgap 0.59 eV, 2.034 eV, and 2.906 eV for InN, GaN, and AlN monolayers, respectively. The biaxial tensile and compressive strains are used as external stimuli to understand their impact on the optoelectronic properties of these monolayers. The thermodynamic stability of strained monolayers is investigated to explore the maximum possible strains, i.e. flexibility limit, these monolayers can sustain. These monolayers are more sensitive to compressive strains, showing thermodynamic instability even at 1% compressive strain for all the considered monolayers. Further, the III-nitride monolayers are more robust with the tensile strain. InN, GaN, and AlN monolayers can sustain up to 4%, 16%, and 18% tensile strain, respectively. More interestingly, the electronic transitions, such as direct to indirect and semiconducting to metallic, are noticed with strain in the considered monolayers. The optical properties also exhibit strong strain dependency at the different transition points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has recently been proposed that back‐contacted III–V light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) could offer improved current spreading as compared to conventional mesa or double side contacted structures. This has inspired also experimental efforts to realize such structures, but fabrication methods for them have not yet been fully established. Herein, the use of unintentionally doped and partially carrier‐selective contacts (SC) is studied to realize back‐contacted indium gallium nitride (InGaN) LEDs. The sharp electroluminescence peak at 439 nm from the multiquantum well stack demonstrates that the approach allows fabricating back‐contacted InGaN LEDs without intentionally doped n‐GaN layers and without inflicting damage in the active region, often observed in alternative approaches relying on lateral doping and the use of high energy particles during fabrication. The samples are fabricated on a finger configuration with several finger widths between 1 and 20 μm. It is observed that the emission spreads most uniformly throughout the structure for fingers with the width of 5 μm. As shown by the simulations, with improved contact resistances, the structures reported herein could enable fabricating back‐contacted LEDs with unity injection efficiency and improved current spreading, offering a path toward large‐area LEDs without contact shading even in materials where n‐doping is elusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AlN/GaN resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) were grown separately on freestanding GaN (FS-GaN) substrates and sapphire substrates by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy (PA-MBE). Room temperature negative differential resistance (NDR) was obtained under forward bias for the RTDs grown on FS-GaN substrates, with the peak current densities (J p) of 175â€"700 kA/cm2 and peak-to-valley current ratios (PVCRs) of 1.01â€"1.21. Two resonant peaks were also observed for some RTDs at room temperature. The effects of two types of substrates on epitaxy quality and device performance of GaN-based RTDs were firstly investigated systematically, showing that lower dislocation densities, flatter surface morphology, and steeper heterogeneous interfaces were the key factors to achieving NDR for RTDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi-polar micro-LEDs have gain increasing interests due to the advantages of polarization control and quantum efficiency improvement. In this work, a novel semi-polar (20-21)-plane micro-LEDs array has been designed and manufactured. In comparison with c-plane micro-LEDs, semi-polar micro-LEDs indicate better electrical and optical performance. The relative EQE of semi-polar micro-LEDs remains at 62% under the injected current density of 775.6 A/cm2, which indicates a reduced efficiency droop due to less polarization in MQWs. It has been further proved by a significant reduction of 55% in emission peak blue-shift under the injected current density from 11.1 A/cm2 to 775.6 A/cm2. In addition, the carrier recombination dynamics and spatial light distribution of semi-polar micro-LEDs with different pixel sizes have been studied. Fast recombination lifetime in smaller size semi-polar micro-LEDs indicates a promising way to be used as a high modulation bandwidth light source. Stable and uniform light distribution in a wider range of spatial azimuths further supports for the semi-polar micro-LEDs as a strong candidate for the applications of high-resolution display and high-speed visible light communication.

Owing to their wide direct bandgap tunability, III-nitride (III-N) compound semiconductors have been proven instrumental in the development of blue light-emitting diodes that led to the so-called solid-state lighting revolution and blue laser diodes that are used for optical data storage. Beyond such conventional optoelectronic devices, in this review, we explore the progress made in the past 15 years with this low refractive index material family for the realization of microdisks as well as 2D and 1D photonic crystal (PhC) membrane cavities. Critical aspects related to their design and fabrication are first highlighted. Then, the optical properties of passive PhC structures designed for near-infrared such as their quality factor and their mode volume are addressed. Additional challenges dealing with fabrication pertaining to structures designed for shorter wavelengths, namely the visible to ultraviolet spectral range, are also critically reviewed and analyzed. Various applications ranging from second and third harmonic generation to microlasers and nanolasers are then discussed. Finally, forthcoming challenges and novel fields of application of III-N photonic cavities are commented.

We have numerically examined the effect of the combination of graded last barrier as well as electron blocking layer in GaN-based multiquantum light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The structure shows improved hole injection into the quantum wells, which is a crucial performance-limiting factor in GaN LEDs. In our proposed structure, valence band offset is reduced, hole injection is enhanced and therefore optoelectronic properties are enhanced significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, physical compact modelling of Gallium Nitride High Electron Mobility Transistor (GaN HEMT) based pressure sensor for high temperature applications is presented. The model builds around device placement at arbitrary positions on circular membranes, which itself acts as a transducer between pressure and surface strain. The presented model is integrated with the compact Advanced SPICE Model for High Electron Mobility Transistors (ASM-HEMT), as the core HEMT model. In this part, the effects of internal strain, external strain and temperature on the HEMT characteristic pinch-off voltage is modelled as a function of epitaxial design (barrier design, device dimensions, substrate type and thickness). In addition, the device response to pressure as a function of position on the membrane is also modelled. The analytical equations to describe the mechanical strain situation at the wafer surface, was integrated in the compact model on basis of Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations. Lattice-related effects like thermal expansion and elastic constants degradation with temperature is also modelled, based on physical equations fitted to experimental published data. The model was verified against experimental ${C}$ - ${V}$ measurements and published experimental data of GaN HEMTs used as pressure sensors, with different substrates (Si, sapphire), different epitaxial design, and different sensor geometry. The presented compact model allows the simulation of GaN based pressure sensors as a part of a compact circuit simulation. The model developed here is used in Part II to propose an optimized design of temperature-insensitive GaN-based pressure sensor, for high temperature applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A chemistry platform for the fast continuous synthesis of III–V quantum dots is demonstrated. III‐nitride QDs are prepared by using short residence times (less than 30 s) in a one‐step continuous process with supercritical solvents. GaN QDs prepared via this route exhibit strong UV photoluminescence with a structuring of the emission signal at low temperature (5 K), confirming their high quality. An example of metal site substitution is given with the synthesis of InxGa1‐xN solid solution. A continuous bandgap shift towards lower energies is demonstrated when increasing the indium content with strong photoluminescence signals from UV to visible. The chemistry platform proposed could be easily extrapolated to binary and ternary III phosphides or arsenides with the homologous V source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent progress in the development of monolayer (ML)‐thick GaN/AlN multilayer heterostructures for deep‐ultraviolet (UV) optoelectronics is reviewed. Analysis of both plasma‐assisted molecular beam epitaxy and metal–organic vapor phase epitaxy shows that extreme interface sharpness and sub‐ML accuracy in setting the layer thickness are attractive features of the former, whereas the lowest density of threading dislocations and wide possibilities for the implementation of various 2D growth mechanisms are the advantages of the latter. The structural properties of ML GaN/AlN heterostructures are evaluated not only by standard X‐ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy, but also by Raman spectroscopy. Theoretical and experimental studies of the optical properties of ML‐thick GaN/AlN quantum wells (QWs) reveal that quenching of the quantum‐confined Stark effect, suppression of transverse electric transverse magnetic polarization switching, as well as the excitonic nature of UV‐radiative recombination in ultrathin (1–2 ML) QWs ensure in such structures a high internal quantum yield of 75% for UV radiation at 235 nm at room temperature. The possibilities of using ML‐GaN/AlN heterostructures to fabricate UVC emitters of spontaneous and stimulated emissions in a wide range of output powers with various pumping techniques are considered, and the most important problems are formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]