We present a comprehensive, up-to-date compilation of band parameters for the technologically important III–V zinc blende and wurtzite compound semiconductors: GaAs, GaSb, GaP, GaN, AlAs, AlSb, AlP, AlN, InAs, InSb, InP, and InN, along with their ternary and quaternary alloys. Based on a review of the existing literature, complete and consistent parameter sets are given for all materials. Emphasizing the quantities required for band structure calculations, we tabulate the direct and indirect energy gaps, spin-orbit, and crystal-field splittings, alloy bowing parameters, effective masses for electrons, heavy, light, and split-off holes, Luttinger parameters, interband momentum matrix elements, and deformation potentials, including temperature and alloy-composition dependences where available. Heterostructure band offsets are also given, on an absolute scale that allows any material to be aligned relative to any other.

Band parameters for III–V compound semiconductors and their alloys

We present a comprehensive and up-to-date compilation of band parameters for all of the nitrogen-containing III–V semiconductors that have been investigated to date. The two main classes are: (1) “conventional” nitrides (wurtzite and zinc-blende GaN, InN, and AlN, along with their alloys) and (2) “dilute” nitrides (zinc-blende ternaries and quaternaries in which a relatively small fraction of N is added to a host III–V material, e.g., GaAsN and GaInAsN). As in our more general review of III–V semiconductor band parameters [I. Vurgaftman et al., J. Appl. Phys. 89, 5815 (2001)], complete and consistent parameter sets are recommended on the basis of a thorough and critical review of the existing literature. We tabulate the direct and indirect energy gaps, spin-orbit and crystal-field splittings, alloy bowing parameters, electron and hole effective masses, deformation potentials, elastic constants, piezoelectric and spontaneous polarization coefficients, as well as heterostructure band offsets. Temperature an...

Band parameters for nitrogen-containing semiconductors

Gallium nitride (GaN) and its allied binaries InN and AIN as well as their ternary compounds have gained an unprecedented attention due to their wide-ranging applications encompassing green, blue, violet, and ultraviolet (UV) emitters and detectors (in photon ranges inaccessible by other semiconductors) and high-power amplifiers. However, even the best of the three binaries, GaN, contains many structural and point defects caused to a large extent by lattice and stacking mismatch with substrates. These defects notably affect the electrical and optical properties of the host material and can seriously degrade the performance and reliability of devices made based on these nitride semiconductors. Even though GaN broke the long-standing paradigm that high density of dislocations precludes acceptable device performance, point defects have taken the center stage as they exacerbate efforts to increase the efficiency of emitters, increase laser operation lifetime, and lead to anomalies in electronic devices. The p...

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Luminescence properties of defects in GaN

Recent research results pertaining to InN, GaN and AlN are reviewed, focusing on the different growth techniques of Group III-nitride crystals and epitaxial films, heterostructures and devices. The chemical and thermal stability of epitaxial nitride films is discussed in relation to the problems of deposition processes and the advantages for applications in high-power and high-temperature devices. The development of growth methods like metalorganic chemical vapour deposition and plasma-induced molecular beam epitaxy has resulted in remarkable improvements in the structural, optical and electrical properties. New developments in precursor chemistry, plasma-based nitrogen sources, substrates, the growth of nucleation layers and selective growth are covered. Deposition conditions and methods used to grow alloys for optical bandgap and lattice engineering are introduced. The review is concluded with a description of recent Group III-nitride semiconductor devices such as bright blue and white light-emitting diodes, the first blue-emitting laser, high-power transistors, and a discussion of further applications in surface acoustic wave devices and sensors.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0022-3727/31/20/001/pdf

Growth and applications of Group III-nitrides

The optical properties of wurtzite-structured InN grown on sapphire substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy have been characterized by optical absorption, photoluminescence, and photomodulated reflectance techniques. These three characterization techniques show an energy gap for InN between 0.7 and 0.8 eV, much lower than the commonly accepted value of 1.9 eV. The photoluminescence peak energy is found to be sensitive to the free-electron concentration of the sample. The peak energy exhibits very weak hydrostatic pressure dependence, and a small, anomalous blueshift with increasing temperature.

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Unusual properties of the fundamental band gap of InN

InxGa1−xN (0<x<0.2) thin layers were grown on GaN-coated sapphire substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) using ammonia as the nitrogen source. Their optical properties have been investigated by low- and room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) and photothermal deflection spectroscopy. It is shown that high-quality InxGa1−xN layers with x∼0.1 can be grown by MBE using NH3. The PL linewidths are 48 and 80 meV at 9 and 300 K, respectively. A bowing parameter of 1 eV is deduced for the band-edge luminescence energy. On the other hand, when the growth conditions slightly move aside the optimum, the PL spectra exhibit broad and deep luminescence. The variation of the PL energy of this deep luminescence as a function of the In composition is then discussed.

Band edge versus deep luminescence of InxGa1−xN layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy

We have performed a study of excitation power-dependent spectra of GaN/AlGaN single quantum wells (QWs). First, the experimental "blueshift" of the emission energy, due to screening of internal piezoelectric fields, was compared with the model calculations based on self-consistent solution of Schroedinger and Poisson equations. We found that, even for the highest applied levels of excitation power (2.5 MW/cm(2)), only 0.5x10(12) cm(-2) carriers were present in the QW layers. Second, we analyzed the evolution of power-dependent spectra of two single QW having different widths. For the thinner QW (2.1 nm), the peak corresponding to a QW photoluminescence (PL) emission dominates the entire spectrum in the whole range of the used excitation power. In the case of the wider QW (4.4 nm), for sufficiently high excitation power, we observe the effect of PL quenching. Using the rate equation model we show that the observed effect of the PL quenching can be associated with the reduction of exciton binding energy due to the many body interactions in the QW. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

Study of light emission from GaN/AlGaN quantum wells under power-dependent excitation

Porous GaN and (Ga,In)N/GaN single quantum well layers are fabricated using a selective area sublimation (SAS) technique from initially smooth and compact 2-dimensional (D) layers grown on Si(111) or c-plane sapphire substrates. The photoluminescence properties of these porous layers are measured and compared to reference non-porous samples. Whatever the substrate used, the porosity leads to an increase of the room temperature photoluminescence intensity. The magnitude of this increase is related to the initial defect density of the 2D epitaxial layers and to the degree of carrier localization prior to the SAS process.

Photoluminescence properties of porous GaN and (Ga,In)N/GaN single quantum well made by selective area sublimation

Surface morphology of AlN and size dispersion of GaN quantum dots

In the present work, AlGaN/GaN HEMTs were grown by MBE on Si(111) and SiC substrates. The mobility profiles achieved by Hall effect and with the combination of capacitance and conductivity measurements were compared. A clear dependence of the electron mobility was observed with the 2DEG carrier density. However the maximum of mobility achievable in the samples depends on the structural quality of the layers, the dependence is similar for all studied samples. Furthermore, this behavior is shown to account for the I–V transfer characteristics of the transistors realized on these layers. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Jean Massies

Papers

Band edge versus deep luminescence of InxGa1−xN layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Study of light emission from GaN/AlGaN quantum wells under power-dependent excitation

Photoluminescence properties of porous GaN and (Ga,In)N/GaN single quantum well made by selective area sublimation

Surface morphology of AlN and size dispersion of GaN quantum dots

Electron mobility and transfer characteristics in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs