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

Carrier concentration profiles of two-dimensional electron gases are investigated in wurtzite, Ga-face AlxGa1−xN/GaN/AlxGa1−xN and N-face GaN/AlxGa1−xN/GaN heterostructures used for the fabrication of field effect transistors. Analysis of the measured electron distributions in heterostructures with AlGaN barrier layers of different Al concentrations (0.15<x<0.5) and thickness between 20 and 65 nm demonstrate the important role of spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization on the carrier confinement at GaN/AlGaN and AlGaN/GaN interfaces. Characterization of the electrical properties of nominally undoped transistor structures reveals the presence of high sheet carrier concentrations, increasing from 6×1012 to 2×1013 cm−2 in the GaN channel with increasing Al-concentration from x=0.15 to 0.31. The observed high sheet carrier concentrations and strong confinement at specific interfaces of the N- and Ga-face pseudomorphic grown heterostructures can be explained as a consequence of interface charges induced by ...

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Two-dimensional electron gases induced by spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization charges in N- and Ga-face AlGaN/GaN heterostructures

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

This document is the report of a task group of the AAPM and has been prepared primarily to advise medical physicists involved in the external-beam radiation therapy of patients with thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic tumors affected by respiratory motion. This report describes the magnitude of respiratory motion, discusses radiotherapy specific problems caused by respiratory motion, explains techniques that explicitly manage respiratory motion during radiotherapy and gives recommendations in the application of these techniques for patient care, including quality assurance (QA) guidelines for these devices and their use with conformal and intensity modulated radiotherapy. The technologies covered by this report are motion-encompassing methods, respiratory gated techniques, breath-hold techniques, forced shallow-breathing methods, and respiration-synchronized techniques. The main outcome of this report is a clinical process guide for managing respiratory motion. Included in this guide is the recommendation that tumor motion should be measured (when possible) for each patient for whom respiratory motion is a concern. If target motion is greater than 5 mm, a method of respiratory motion management is available, and if the patient can tolerate the procedure, respiratory motion management technology is appropriate. Respiratory motion management is also appropriate when the procedure will increase normal tissue sparing. Respiratory motion management involves further resources, education and the development of and adherence to QA procedures.

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The management of respiratory motion in radiation oncology report of AAPM Task Group 76.

The role of extended and point defects, and key impurities such as C, O, and H, on the electrical and optical properties of GaN is reviewed. Recent progress in the development of high reliability contacts, thermal processing, dry and wet etching techniques, implantation doping and isolation, and gate insulator technology is detailed. Finally, the performance of GaN-based electronic and photonic devices such as field effect transistors, UV detectors, laser diodes, and light-emitting diodes is covered, along with the influence of process-induced or grown-in defects and impurities on the device physics.

Gan : processing, defects, and devices

The performance results AlGaN-GaN Heterostructure Field Effect Transistors (HFETs) grown on SiC substrates are reported. The maximum transconductance of these devices was 142 mS/mm and the source-drain current was as high as 0.95 A/mm. The maximum dissipated DC power at room temperature was 0.6 MW/cm/sup 2/, which is more than three times higher than that in similar devices grown on sapphire. This high thermal breakdown threshold was achieved primarily due to the effective heat sink through the SiC substrate. These devices demonstrated stable performance at elevated temperatures up to 250/spl deg/C. The source-drain current saturation was observed up to 300/spl deg/C. The leakage current in the below threshold regime was temperature-activated with an activation energy of 0.38 eV.

High-temperature performance of AlGaN/GaN HFETs on SiC substrates

We report on a study of Al and Ti/Al contacts to n-type GaN. Al contacts on n-GaN (7×1017 cm−3) annealed in forming gas at 600 °C reached a minimum contact resistivity of 8×10−6 Ω cm2 and had much better thermal stability than reported by previous researchers. Ti/Al (35/115 nm) contacts on n-GaN (5×1017 cm−3) had resistivities of 7×10−6 and 5×10−6 Ω cm2 after annealing in Ar at 400 °C for 5 min and 600 °C for 15 s, respectively. Depth profiles of Ti/Al contacts annealed at 400 °C showed that low contact resistance was only achieved after Al diffused to the GaN interface. We propose that the mechanism for Ohmic contact formation in Ti/Al contacts annealed in the 400–600 °C range includes Ti reducing the GaN native oxide and an Al–Ti intermetallic coming into intimate contact with the GaN.

Investigation of the mechanism for Ohmic contact formation in Al and Ti/Al contacts to n-type GaN

Schottky barriers of Ti, Cr, Au, Pd, Ni and Pt on n-type GaN epitaxial layers grown by low-pressure metal-organic chemical vapour deposition on sapphire have been fabricated and characterized. Measurements were carried out using current - voltage (I - V), current - voltage - temperature (I -V - T) and capacitance - voltage (C - V) techniques. A modified Norde plot was used as one of the analysis tools for the I - V - T measurements. The barrier heights, ideality factors and effective Richardson constants are presented. Barrier heights of 0.88, 0.92, 0.99 and 1.08 eV for Au, Pd, Ni and Pt respectively were obtained from the modified Norde plot. Contacts of Ti and Cr exhibited only slightly rectifying characteristics. These results show that the barrier height on n-GaN increases monotonically, but does not scale proportionately, with increasing metal workfunction.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0268-1242/11/10/002/pdf

Schottky barrier properties of various metals on n-type GaN

We report on the measurements of the piezoresistive effect in the n‐type wurtzite GaN films. The 3–5 μm thick GaN layers were deposited slightly off axis over basal plane sapphire substrates. The static and dynamic gauge factor (GF) of these structures was measured at room temperature for both longitudinal and transverse configurations. The dynamic effect is related to a strong piezoeffect in GaN. The maximum dynamic GF observed was ∼130 (approximately four times larger than for SiC).

Piezoresistive effect in wurtzite n‐type GaN

Mitochondria play central roles in cellular metabolism and apoptosis and are a major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We investigated the role of ROS and mitochondria in radiation-induced apoptosis in multiple myeloma cells. Two distinct levels of ROS were generated following irradiation: a small increase observed early, and a pronounced late increase, associated with depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH) and collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm). Exogenous ROS and caspase-3 induced Δψm drop and cytochrome c release from mitochondria, which could be prevented by molecular (dominant-negative caspase-9) and pharmacologic (zVAD-fmk) caspase inhibitors and overexpression of Bcl-2. Exogenous ROS also induced mitochondrial permeability transition (PT) pore opening and cytochrome c release in isolated mitochondria, which could be blocked by inhibition of PT with cyclosporin A. These results indicate that the late ROS production is associated with increased PT pore opening and decreased Δψm, and GSH, events associated with caspase activation and cytochrome c release.

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The late increase in intracellular free radical oxygen species during apoptosis is associated with cytochrome c release, caspase activation, and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Q. Chen

Papers

High-temperature performance of AlGaN/GaN HFETs on SiC substrates

Investigation of the mechanism for Ohmic contact formation in Al and Ti/Al contacts to n-type GaN

Schottky barrier properties of various metals on n-type GaN

Piezoresistive effect in wurtzite n‐type GaN

The late increase in intracellular free radical oxygen species during apoptosis is associated with cytochrome c release, caspase activation, and mitochondrial dysfunction.