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.

/pdf/unusual-properties-of-the-fundamental-band-gap-of-inn-2xzjzzt783.pdf

Unusual properties of the fundamental band gap of InN

Resume GaN, semi-conducteur a large gap direct (3,49 eV), est un materiau tres prometteur dans les domaines de l'optoelectronique et de la micro-electronique, en raison notamment de la valeur de l'energie de la bande interdite ainsi que de sa grande stabilite chimique et thermique. La plupart des travaux concernant ce nitrure impliquent l'elaboration de films minces au travers de diverses techniques d'epitaxie. La synthese solvothermale constitue une voie originale d'elaboration de GaN. Cette synthese est realisee dans un solvant nitrurant a l'etat supercritique ou proche de celui-ci. Dans ces conditions ( T > T c et P > P c ), la diffusion des especes chimiques est accrue. Ce procede a permis d'obtenir des microcristallites de GaN de bonne purete chimique. Ces microcristallites ont ete caracterisees par plusieurs techniques: diffraction des rayons X, microscopie electronique a balayage.

Nouvelle voie d'élaboration de GaN: la synthèse solvothermale

Spin orientation by optical pumping experiments were undertaken on three strained In0.2Ga0.8As/GaAs QW's with different thicknesses. The results concerning the circular degree of polarization dependence on the exciting energy are very different from well to well. This indicates that in such systems the hole spin relaxation is incomplete and must be considered in the interpretation of the optical pumping data. We show that the complexity of the situation makes difficult the evaluation of the characteristic times governing the photoluminescence polarization.

/pdf/optical-pumping-in-strained-in0-2ga0-8as-gaas-quantum-wells-bj2rvswz89.pdf

Optical-pumping in strained in0.2ga0.8as/gaas quantum-wells

In this work, we present a study of epitaxial Aluminium Nitride (AlN) for thin film bulk acoustic wave (BAW) applications. Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) was used to perform high crystalline quality AlN thin films growth on different silicon substrate preparations. A morphological study was performed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while structural properties and acoustic wave speed were respectively assessed by X-ray diffraction and acoustic picoseconds.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1946427400028876

Molecular Beam Epitaxy of AlN Layers on Si (111)

GaN and InGaN alloys were grown on c-plane sapphire substrates by molecular beam epitaxy using NH3. This allows realizing light emitting diodes (LEDs) based on InGaN/GaN single heterostructures. The forward voltage is 3.6 V at 20 mA. The room temperature electroluminescence exhibits a strong emission at 405 nm. The I-V characteristics were studied as a function of the temperature. A tunneling process in the transport mechanism is observed as for metal-organic chemical vapor deposition grown LEDs.

Violet InGaN/GaN Light Emitting Diodes Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy Using NH3

A III-N semiconductor nitride of Al-N, Ga-N or In-N type is produced by epitaxial growth of the Al, Ga or In semiconductor material in the presence of photolytically decomposed ammonia. An Independent claim is also included for a III-N semiconductor nitride production apparatus comprising an epitaxial growth reactor, into which are injected nitrogen products from an ammonia photolysis chamber. Preferred Features: A low pressure mercury vapor lamp, emitting at a wavelength close to 185 nm, is used for photolytic decomposition of the ammonia into nitrogen radicals and hydrazine. Certain nitrogen-containing products (especially hydrazine) of photolysis are condensed out and then injected into the epitaxial growth reactor.

Jean Massies

Papers

Nouvelle voie d'élaboration de GaN: la synthèse solvothermale

Optical-pumping in strained in0.2ga0.8as/gaas quantum-wells

Molecular Beam Epitaxy of AlN Layers on Si (111)

Violet InGaN/GaN Light Emitting Diodes Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy Using NH3

Producing III-N semiconductor nitride by epitaxial growth in presence of photolytically decomposed ammonia