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Thermal annealing of top−down fabricated GaN nanocolumns (NCs) was investigated over a wide range of temperatures for ammonia-rich atmospheres of both nitrogen and hydrogen. It was found that in contrast to the annealing of planar GaN layers, where surface morphology change is governed purely by material decomposition, reshaping of GaN NCs is strongly affected by competition between different crystallographic facets, which in turn depends on ambient atmosphere and temperature. A qualitative mechanism explaining the observed behavior has been proposed. On the basis of the analysis of these annealing results, growth conditions suitable for either predominantly lateral expansion of the NCs turning their sidewalls into six well-defined vertical m-plane facets, or, vice versa, their infilling from the base regions between the NCs were determined. GaN NC arrays of increased filling factors as compared to the as top−down fabricated ones have been demonstrated using these optimized growth conditions.

With a view to supporting the development of ultra-violet light-emitting diodes and related devices, the compositional, emission and morphology properties of Si-doped n-type Al x Ga1-x N alloys are extensively compared. This study has been designed to determine how the different Al x Ga1-x N crystal orientations (polar (0001) and semipolar (11–22)) affect group-III composition and Si incorporation. Wavelength dispersive x-ray (WDX) spectroscopy was used to determine the AlN mole fraction (x ≈ 0.57–0.85) and dopant concentration (3 × 1018–1 × 1019 cm−3) in various series of Al x Ga1-x N layers grown on (0001) and (11–22) AlN/sapphire templates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The polar samples exhibit hexagonal surface features with Ga-rich boundaries confirmed by WDX mapping. Surface morphology was examined by atomic force microscopy for samples grown with different disilane flow rates and the semipolar samples were shown to have smoother surfaces than their polar counterparts, with an approximate 15% reduction in roughness. Optical characterization using cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy allowed analysis of near-band edge emission in the range 4.0–5.4 eV as well as various deep impurity transition peaks in the range 2.7–4.8 eV. The combination of spatially-resolved characterization techniques, including CL and WDX, has provided detailed information on how the crystal growth direction affects the alloy and dopant concentrations.

Reduction of threading dislocation density in top-down fabricated GaN nanocolumns (NCs) via their successive lateral shrinkage by anisotropic wet etch and lateral overgrowth by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition is studied by transmission electron microscopy. The fabrication process involves a combination of dry and wet etches to produce NC arrays of a low fill factor (

The effect of silicon doping on the growth and properties of ∼ 1.0 μ m - thick Al x Ga 1 - x N ( 0.50 ≤ x ≤ 0.55 ) layers grown on semipolar ( 11 2 ¯ 2 ) AlN templates by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy was studied. The layers were grown with different disilane/group-III precursors ratios that varied from 2.8×10 −5 to 3.4×10 −4 . The surface morphology of the Si-doped ( 11 2 ¯ 2 ) AlGaN layers showed undulations along [ 1 1 ¯ 00 ] AlGaN , AlN with a root-mean square roughness of about 4.0 nm within a scan range of 20 × 20 μ m 2 . Different photoluminescence peaks have been linked to negatively charged cation vacancies ( V III 3 − ) and their complexes with impurities such as V III 3 − - 3 O N 1 + , (V III complex) 1− , and (V III complex) 2− . The optimised AlGaN:Si layer exhibited a carrier concentration of ∼1.2×10 19 cm −3 , a carrier mobility of 30.7 cm 2 /V s, and a resistivity of 0.018 Ω cm , as determined by Hall-effect measurements at room temperature. A correlation between the resistivity and luminescence emission intensities of AlGaN near-band-edge and impurity-related complexes was found.

International audience; Relaxation of tensile strain in AlGaN heterostructures grown on GaN template can lead to the formation ofcracks. These extended defects locally degrade the crystal quality resulting in a local increase of non-radiativerecombinations. The effect of such cracks on the optical and structural properties of core-shell AlGaN/AlGaNmultiple quantum wells grown on GaN microwires are comprehensively characterized by means of spectrallyand time-correlated cathodoluminescence (CL). We observe that the CL blueshifts near a crack. By performing6x6 k.p simulations in combination with transmission electron microscopy analysis, we ascribe this shift tothe strain relaxation by the free surface near cracks. By simultaneously recording the variations of both theCL lifetime and the CL intensity across the crack, we directly assess the carrier dynamics around the defectat T = 5 K. We observe that the CL lifetime is reduced typically from 500 ps to less than 300 ps and the CLintensity increases by about 40% near the crack. The effect of the crack on the optical properties is thereforeof two natures. First, the presence of this defect locally increases non-radiative recombinations while at thesame time, it locally improves the extraction efficiency. These findings emphasize the need for time-resolvedexperiments to avoid experimental artifacts related to local changes of light collection

A comprehensive description of a procedure to form dense locally ordered 2D arrays of vertically aligned hexagonal in section GaN nanocolumns (NCs) without height deviations will be presented. Particular focus will be given for the preparation of silica nanosphere hard masks, dry etching to form GaN NCs, wet etching to modify NC shape, thermal annealing and regrowth to recover non-polar m-plane facets, improve NC crystal quality and array fill factor.

Silicon-doped n-type (0 0 0 1) AlGaN materials with 60% and 85% AlN content were studied close to the doping condition that gives the lowest resistivity (Si/III ratios in the ranges 2.8–34 × 10−5 and 1.3–6.6 × 10−5, respectively). Temperature-dependent conductivity and Hall-effect measurements showed that, apart from the diffusion-like transport in the conduction band, a significant amount of the conductivity was due to phonon-assisted hopping among localized states in the impurity band, which became almost completely degenerate in the most doped sample of the Al0.6Ga0.4N series. In the doping range explored, impurity-band transport was not only dominant at low temperature, but also significant at room-temperature, with contributions to the total conductivity up to 46% for the most conductive sample. We show that, as a consequence of this fact, the measurements of Hall carrier concentration and Hall mobility using the usual single-channel approach are not reliable, even at high temperatures. We propose a simple method to separate the contributions of the two channels. Our model, although only approximate, can be used to gain insight into the doping mechanism: particularly it shows that the room-temperature free-electron concentration in the conduction band of the Al0.6Ga0.4N material reaches its maximum at about 1.6 × 1018 cm−3, well below the value that would have been obtained with the standard single-channel analysis of the data. This maximum is already achieved at dopant concentrations lower than the one that gives the best conductivity. However, further increase of the doping levels are required to enhance the impurity-band channel, with concentrations of the carriers participating in this type of transport that increase from 2.1 × 1018 cm−3 up to 4.3 × 1018 cm−3. For the Al0.85Ga0.15N, even though it was not possible to estimate the actual carrier concentrations, our measurements suggest that a significant impurity-band channel is present also in this material.

Design considerations for vertical Gallium Nitride (GaN) nanowire Schottky barrier diodes (NWSBDs) for high voltage applications is discussed in this paper. Preliminary quasi-vertical NWSBDs fabricated on a Sapphire substrate show rectifying properties with breakdown voltage of 100 V. The principle of dielectric Reduced SURface Field (RESURF) which is naturally compatible with the NW structure, is utilized to block high voltages (> 600 V) within the fabrication constraints of nano-pillar height and drift doping concentration. Design considerations for the NWSBD is explored through 3D TCAD simulations. TCAD simulations show the NWSBDs can block voltages upward of 700 V with very low on-resistance with optimal design. The measured and simulated results are compared with state of the art GaN devices to provide an understanding of the true potential of the GaN NW architecture as power devices offering high breakdown voltages and low on-state resistance and a reliable device operation, all on a vertical architecture and a non-native substrate.

A new concept of vertical gallium nitride (GaN) Schottky barrier diode based on nanowire (NW) structures and the principle of dielectric REduced SURface Field (RESURF) is proposed in this paper. High-threading dislocation density in GaN epitaxy grown on foreign substrates has hindered the development and commercialization of vertical GaN power devices. The proposed NW structure, previously explored for LEDs offers an opportunity to reduce defect density and fabricate low cost vertical GaN power devices on silicon (Si) substrates. In this paper, we investigate the static characteristics of high-voltage GaN NW Schottky diodes using 3-D TCAD device simulation. The NW architecture theoretically achieves blocking voltages upward of 700 V with very low specific on-resistance. Two different methods of device fabrication are discussed. Preliminary experimental results are reported on device samples fabricated using one of the proposed methods. The fabricated Schottky diodes exhibit a breakdown voltage of around 100 V and no signs of current collapse. Although more work is needed to further explore the nano-GaN concept, the preliminary results indicate that superior tradeoff between the breakdown voltage and specific on-resistance can be achieved, all on a vertical architecture and a foreign substrate. The proposed NW approach has the potential to deliver low cost reliable GaN power devices, circumventing the limitations of today's high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) technology and vertical GaN on GaN devices.

InAlN/AlGaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) emitting between 300 and 350 nm have been prepared by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on planar AlN templates. To obtain strong room temperature luminescence from InAlN QWs a two temperature approach was required. The intensity decayed weakly as the temperature was increased to 300 K, with ratios I PL (300 K)/ I PL ( T ) max up to 70%. This high apparent internal quantum efficiency is attributed to the exceptionally strong carrier localization in this material, which is also manifested by a high Stokes shift (0.52 eV) of the luminescence. Based on these results InAlN is proposed as a robust alternative to AlGaN for ultraviolet emitting devices.

In this review paper we will report the current state of research regarding the doping of III-nitride materials and their alloys. GaN is a mature material with both n -type and p -type doping relatively well understood, and while n -GaN is easily achieved, p -type doping requires much more care. There are significant efforts to extend the composition range that can be controllably doped for AlGaInN alloys. This would allow application in shorter and longer wavelength optoelectronics as well as extending power electronic devices. It is found that doping of AlGaN and InGaN alloys with low-gallium-content has particular challenges, especially for p -materials and these issues are described.

Fully functional InAlN-based ultraviolet LEDs emitting at 340–350 nm were demonstrated for the first time; detailed electrical and optical characterization is presented and discussed. Results from the measurements at pulsed conditions are in agreement with the attribution of the dominant electroluminescence peak to near-band-edge emission. The composition of the AlGaN barriers was chosen to give the same internal polarization field as that of the InAlN wells. A simulation study of this polarization-matched heterostructure shows a significant increase in the electron-hole overlap integral if compared with a standard AlGaN/AlGaN active region having the same level of carrier confinement. Limitations and problems of these preliminary devices are also presented, and possible future work aimed at increasing their efficiency is discussed.

Reliability requirements for very high power devices are growing for their importance in industrial drives and renewable energy; testing those devices in operating condition is more and more difficult. A coupled measurement-simulation based design procedure is presented and applied to high power PiN diodes for application with fast IGBTs or IGCTs, in which high di/dt’s can result in too high current or voltage or energy peaks during turn-off, limiting the reliability of the circuit. Appropriately tuned simulation of the semiconductor device embedded in the test circuit allows to overcome measurement capability limits and to properly design the diode itself and a specific test circuit.

The conditions required for a high growth rate of AlN in a 3 × 2″ showerhead-type vertical flow metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) reactor are studied. It is found that at the standard growth conditions (low V/III, 50 mbar, 1110 °C, H2), the growth rate linearly increases with the trimethylaluminium (TMAl) flow rate until about 280 μmol min−1 with some drop of precursor utilization efficiency at higher pressures. While the pre-reaction of TMAl with NH3 at 140 μmol min−1 of TMAl is still not a major issue, it is not possible, however, to maintain a smooth AlN surface morphology during this “fast” growth. To suppress the surface morphology deterioration, the growth pressure requires optimization. An increase of the growth pressure, to 75 mbar, is found to be critical to grow 20+ μm of smooth AlN at a rate of about 3.6 μm h−1 on bulk AlN substrates.

Deep Ultra Violet Light Emitting diodes have undergone increasing research interest due to their application for sterilisation of water and air for example [1]. They also can potentially provide compact efficient sources for fluorescence excitation [2] and food preservation [3]. A key advantage of such LEDs over the alternative Hg lamp sources is their ease of control and switching, in addition to the benefits to the environment, where Hg disposal is a critical issue.

In this study we report the growth, fabrication and packaging of AlGaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs) operating at 250 nm for space application [1]. The device fabrication and packaging processes were optimized to ensure a reliable optical fibre coupling. Electrical and optical characterization is presented and discussed; in particular a four-fold increase of the integrated ultraviolet power is demonstrated compared with a non-optimized device. A potential expansion of this approach to InAlN-based devices will also be discussed.

A Nanostructured GaN Device Architecture for Power Applications Z. John Shen, Gourab Sabui, Vitaly Z. Zubialevich, Mary White, Pietro Pampili, Peter J. Parbrook, Mathew McLaren, Miryam Arredondo-Arechavala Gallium nitride (GaN) has emerged as a promising material for development of power semiconductor devices owing to its high critical electric field, large bandgap and superior transport properties. The unique properties of GaN have prompted realization of power devices both in a lateral (high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs)) and a vertical layout (bulk GaN on GaN devices). GaN power devices show extremely low conduction and switching losses and holds the key to extremely low-loss and high-efficiency power converters of the future. However, GaN power devices have been plagued with several inherent drawbacks preventing a ubiquitous adoption of GaN as the material of choice for power switches. The most critical trade-off has been the choice of substrate for the growth of GaN epitaxy: a high performance, high-cost native substrate against a low-cost, non-native substrate with associated reliability issues. For GaN to thrive as a superior successor to Si, a low cost, high performance epitaxy with improved reliability is expected moving forward. Current lateral HEMTs and vertical GaN on GaN devices are inadequate to address this trade-off. A novel nanostructured approach to GaN power devices is proposed in this paper. The unique property of GaN nanowires is its ability to elastically relax in the lateral direction, and accommodate lattice mismatch with non-native substrate through pseudomorphic growth without dislocation formation as compared to thin-film heterostructures. Experimental studies have shown self-induced GaN NWs grown with a high surface to volume ratio on a Si substrate have a non-polar side face and is virtually free of threading dislocations and other structural defects. Power devices grown on a nano-GaN epitaxy theoretically have the potential to bypass the reliability concerns associated with a non-native substrate but still deliver comparable or even superior performance, albeit at a low-cost. Schottky barrier diodes are designed and fabricated based on the nano-GaN concept. Fabricated diodes grown on a Sapphire substrate show distinct rectifying properties blocking voltages of 100 V. Despite repetitive biasing, the devices did not show any sign of current collapse. Design optimization of the nanowire Schottky barrier diode (NWSBD) is performed using 3D TCAD drift-diffusion simulations and semiconductor-oxide interaction was utilized to push the performance of the NWSBDs beyond the unipolar limit of GaN. The optimized NWSBD show the potential to block voltages upwards of 650 V working under present fabrication constraints of doping concentrations and pillar height. Simulated characteristics predict superior VRB 2/RON FoM, outperforming both the lateral HEMTs and the vertical GaN on GaN devices. A fully controlled, three terminal nanowire field effect transistor (NWFET) is also investigated using 3D TCAD drift-diffusion modeling. The NWFET can be operated in both normally-off and normally-on modes based on design and requirements. The 3D gate around the nanowires coupled with a strong dielectric REduced SURface Field (RESURF) effect allows this architecture to block voltages beyond the 1D unipolar material limit of GaN in the reverse bias. With proper design, highly desirable linear voltage to pillar height scaling can be achieved for the NWFET. Breakdown voltages of more than 900 V is predicted, with superior VRB 2/RON and QGD x RDS(ON) figure of merits. Despite lacking a body-diode, the NWFETs being quasi-symmetrical enables current conduction in the 3rd quadrant itself by self-commutated reverse conduction with a very low voltage drop. The nanowire architecture holds great potential to produce power rectifiers and controlled FETs with high performance, improved reliability and ruggedness and in a cost-effective way.

Bandwidth measurements of deep ultra-violet micro-light-emitting diode (LED) electroluminescence centred at 250 nm using a multiple quantum well aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN)-based LED structure grown on a sapphire substrate is presented. By controlled etching of the wafer surface, parabolically shaped micro-LED structures were formed to enhance light emission through the substrate. Devices were tested on-wafer and bandwidth measurements were carried out on individual emission peaks from the devices. A bandwidth of more than 20 MHz was achieved on the 250 nm peak.

In this work we developed press-pack silicon resistors for current ratings of thousands of amperes. Many prototypes were fabricated (with various resistance values) and characterized, using low-voltage (< 100 V) fast-pulsed (i.e., isothermal) measurements to tune a two-dimensional electro-thermal numerical model. The simulations then provided us with a description of the resistor behavior under high-voltage and high-current conditions that were unattainable by our measurement set-up. The decrease of carrier mobility with electric field causes a non-linear I-V relationship whereby the resistance is lower at low fields and higher at high fields. This feature is useful in snubber applications, where the resistor is used as a current-limiting element during the discharge of the capacitor: the resistance is maximum at the onset of the discharge phase, when current must be limited, then its value decreases with the voltage drop, thus speeding up the transient. The simulations also allowed us to study the temperature dependence of the resistance. We observed a non-monotonic behavior, with an increase of the resistance with temperature due to carrier scattering, followed by a rapid decrease due to thermal generation of excess carriers. These press-packed resistors represent a promising solution for snubber application in stacks with high-power diodes or GTOs, very large currents being allowed by the outstanding heat-sinking capabilities of the press-pack