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

It is shown that Te can be used as a surfactant for the growth of highly strained InxGa1−xAs on GaAs(001). As observed by reflection high‐energy electron diffraction analysis during growth, adsorption of Te on the GaAs surface prior to the growth of InxGa1−xAs drastically increases the layer thickness which can be grown in a two‐dimensional layer‐by‐layer fashion. In analogy with the behavior of As and Sb as surfactant in the growth of Si/Ge [Copel, Reuter, Kaxiras, and Tromp, Phys. Rev. Lett. 63, 632 (1989)] Te is only slightly incorporated in the growing layer and floats at the surface.

Surfactant mediated epitaxial-growth of inxga1-xas on gaas (001)

We report the experimental observation of the strong-coupling regime in a nitride-based microcavity. The active layer in the optical cavity consists of a \ensuremath{\lambda}/2 GaN layer sandwiched between a dielectric mirror and the silicon substrate, which acts as the bottom mirror. Reflectivity measurements have been performed under various angles of incidence at $T=5\mathrm{K},$ producing evidence of strong-coupling behavior between the exciton and the cavity mode. A Rabi splitting of 31 meV is obtained experimentally. Transfer-matrix simulations have allowed us to account for the exciton-photon interaction. From these calculations, the oscillator strengths of the $A$ and $B$ excitons are evaluated and these values are in good agreement with those previously determined in bulk GaN.

Observation of Rabi splitting in a bulk GaN microcavity grown on silicon

The growth of GaN and InxGa1−xN on c-plane sapphire substrates was carried out by molecular beam epitaxy using NH3. In situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) was used to monitor the growth process. Oscillations of the specular beam intensity were observed during both GaN and InxGa1−xN deposition. This allows determining in real time the composition of InxGa1−xN alloys. The effects of the growth temperature and the Ga flux on the In incorporation rate were investigated. The critical thickness for InGaN islanding as a function of In mole fraction is also easily deduced from RHEED experiments.

Real time control of InxGa1-xN molecular beam epitaxy growth

In the present paper, we address a review of group-III nitride quantum wells and quantum dots realized by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) using ammonia as a nitrogen source. Some important features of the growth of nitrides by MBE using ammonia are pointed out. We also emphasize the role of in situ analysis tools such as reflection high-energy electron diffraction. The optical properties of several kinds of quantum heterostructure are presented. They illustrate well the combined effects of polarization fields and carrier localization. Finally, the use of InGaN/GaN QWs in LEDs for white light emission is presented.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-8984/13/32/305/pdf

Group-III nitride quantum heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Wurtzite GaN was grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy on (0001) sapphire substrates. Taking advantage of the catalytic decomposition of ammonia on the growing surface, high growth rates (>1 μm/h) were achieved for substrate temperatures ranging between 800 and 850 °C. Surface morphology, structural, and optical properties of thick (2–4 μm) GaN films were investigated versus the growth temperature of the GaN buffer layer. It is shown that this parameter has a drastic influence on the GaN properties.

Jean Massies

Papers

Surfactant mediated epitaxial-growth of inxga1-xas on gaas (001)

Observation of Rabi splitting in a bulk GaN microcavity grown on silicon

Real time control of InxGa1-xN molecular beam epitaxy growth

Group-III nitride quantum heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Gas source molecular beam epitaxy of wurtzite GaN on sapphire substrates using GaN buffer layers