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

Monolithic white light emitting diode (LEDs) grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is an original approach to realize white LEDs. Using a Ga0.8In0.2N/GaN multi-quantum well (QW) structure with different QW thicknesses in the active region of a GaN p-n junction leads to white light emission provided that the different QW emission wavelengths and relative intensities are properly adjusted. However, the color rendering index (CRI) and the output power are still a limitation for the development of these LEDs. In this study, we propose to use a broad emission spectrum – from blue to red – with the objective of improving the CRI. Carrier recombination mechanisms in the LEDs are studied by electroluminescence (EL) measurements at room temperature and discussed as a function of the structure design. Results show a strong modification of the EL spectrum as a function of the applied voltage and an enhancement of the red emission component with the insertion of a GaN undoped spacer layer between the active region and the p-type layers. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Monolithic white light emitting diodes with a broad emission spectrum

Molecular beam epitaxy of GaSbAlxGa1 − xSb quantum well structures

(Ga,In)(N,As) could be a promising material for use in monolithic four-junction solar cells since it can be grown lattice-matched to substrates such as GaAs and Ge, and its bandgap of 1 eV is complementary to that of the three other semiconductors Ge, GaAs and (Ga,In)P. The growth by molecular beam epitaxy of (Ga,In)(N,As)-based solar cells is reported. It was checked by high-resolution X-ray diffraction that the 1-μm-thick (Ga,In)(N,As) layers were lattice-matched to GaAs. The spectral responses of the solar cells provide evidence that (Ga,In)(N,As) converts photons with energy down to 0.9 eV. The comparison with reference GaAs solar cells indicates, however, a degradation of the short-circuit current, revealing short minority-carrier diffusion lengths. A (Ga,In)(N,As) 2 mm×2.5 mm solar cell with a p–i (Ga,In)(N,As) n-GaAs structure delivers a 2.1 mA/cm2 short-circuit current and has an open-circuit voltage of 0.264 V under natural solar illumination (air mass ∼1.5).

(Ga,In)(N,As)-based solar cells grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Electron cyclotron resonance plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy has been used to grow hexagonal and cubic GaN crystal layers on Si(100). By a combined application of in-situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, the state of the Si(001) surface, the structure of GaN grown on this surface and the orientation relationship between substrate and layer were determined. Substrate cleaning, surface reconstruction and carbon surface contamination were found to have a strong effect on GaN growth in the early stage of epitaxy (up to 2000 Angstrom). While polycrystalline GaN in its hexagonal phase is obtained on a clean Si(001) surface, cubic GaN grows epitaxially on a Si(001)c(4 x 4) surface covered by small three-dimensional cubic beta-SiC crystallites.

Jean Massies

Papers

Monolithic white light emitting diodes with a broad emission spectrum

Molecular beam epitaxy of GaSbAlxGa1 − xSb quantum well structures

(Ga,In)(N,As)-based solar cells grown by molecular beam epitaxy

How to induce the epitaxial growth of gallium nitride on Si(001)

GaAlAs/GaAs solar cells grown by molecular beam epitaxy: material properties and device parameters