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

Effect of the nucleation layer deposition temperature on the nature of defects in GSMBE GaN films

Reflectance spectra are studied for both symmetric and asymmetric double-quantum-well structures separated by intermediate barriers with various thicknesses. It is shown that the interwell couplings versus the tunneling of the carriers across the barrier has a significant influence on the optical transition properties. Quantitative analyses are presented, which help to identify a number of transitions involving excited states, in asymmetric double wells. A theoretical model agrees with experimental results in several aspects: the interband transition energies, the transition probabilities, and the broadening of the reflectance structures. The effects of interfacial roughness and alloy disorder, in both symmetric and asymmetric systems, are carefully analyzed, which provides a new insight into the broadening of the optical transitions, due to interfacial morphology.

Reflectance study of interwell couplings in GaAs-Ga1-xAlxAs double quantum wells.

Indium surface segregation during the growth of Ga1−xInxAs by chemical beam epitaxy is evidenced in real time by reflection high-energy electron diffraction. An efficient way to suppress the compositional broadening of GaAs on the GaInAs interface resulting from the In segregation effect is proposed. It consists in using the chemical reaction of AsCl3 molecules at the surface, which is shown to etch layer by layer the Ga1−xInxAs alloy. Monolayer etching precision is thus obtained and used to eliminate the In accumulation at the GaInAs surface and the related interface broadening.Indium surface segregation during the growth of Ga1−xInxAs by chemical beam epitaxy is evidenced in real time by reflection high-energy electron diffraction. An efficient way to suppress the compositional broadening of GaAs on the GaInAs interface resulting from the In segregation effect is proposed. It consists in using the chemical reaction of AsCl3 molecules at the surface, which is shown to etch layer by layer the Ga1−xInxAs alloy. Monolayer etching precision is thus obtained and used to eliminate the In accumulation at the GaInAs surface and the related interface broadening.

An efficient way to improve compositional abruptness at the GaAs on GaInAs interface

This work reports the electroluminescence (EL) properties of monolithic light emitting diodes (LEDs) with an integrated (Ga,In)N/GaN light converter. The samples are constituted by a blue LED optically pumping a green–yellow emitting light converter. A simple model is proposed that accounts for the observed EL intensity ratio between the pump and the converter. The internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of the light converter has a crucial effect on the LED color. Experimental results regarding monolithic LEDs with a pump wavelength of 420 nm and a variable converter wavelength are analyzed. Depending on the light converter IQE the LED color can be tuned from blue to white.

Jean Massies

Papers

Effect of the nucleation layer deposition temperature on the nature of defects in GSMBE GaN films

Reflectance study of interwell couplings in GaAs-Ga1-xAlxAs double quantum wells.

An efficient way to improve compositional abruptness at the GaAs on GaInAs interface

Color control in monolithic white light emitting diodes using a (Ga,In)N/GaN multiple quantum well light converter

Signature of monolayer and bilayer fluctuations in the width of (Al,Ga)N/GaN quantum wells