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

Phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (pc-WLEDs) are emerging as an indispensable solid-state light source for the next generation lighting industry and display systems due to their unique properties including but not limited to energy savings, environment-friendliness, small volume, and long persistence. Until now, major challenges in pc-WLEDs have been to achieve high luminous efficacy, high chromatic stability, brilliant color-rending properties, and price competitiveness against fluorescent lamps, which rely critically on the phosphor properties. A comprehensive understanding of the nature and limitations of phosphors and the factors dominating the general trends in pc-WLEDs is of fundamental importance for advancing technological applications. This report aims to provide the most recent advances in the synthesis and application of phosphors for pc-WLEDs with emphasis specifically on: (a) principles to tune the excitation and emission spectra of phosphors: prediction according to crystal field theory, and structural chemistry characteristics (e.g. covalence of chemical bonds, electronegativity, and polarization effects of element); (b) pc-WLEDs with phosphors excited by blue-LED chips: phosphor characteristics, structure, and activated ions (i.e. Ce 3+ and Eu 2+ ), including YAG:Ce, other garnets, non-garnets, sulfides, and (oxy)nitrides; (c) pc-WLEDs with phosphors excited by near ultraviolet LED chips: single-phased white-emitting phosphors (e.g. Eu 2+ –Mn 2+ activated phosphors), red-green-blue phosphors, energy transfer, and mechanisms involved; and (d) new clues for designing novel high-performance phosphors for pc-WLEDs based on available LED chips. Emphasis shall also be placed on the relationships among crystal structure, luminescence properties, and device performances. In addition, applications, challenges and future advances of pc-WLEDs will be discussed.

Phosphors in phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes: Recent advances in materials, techniques and properties

Wide bandgap semiconductors are extremely attractive for the gamut of power electronics applications from power conditioning to microwave transmitters for communications and radar. Of the various materials and device technologies, the AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistor seems the most promising. This paper attempts to present the status of the technology and the market with a view of highlighting both the progress and the remaining problems.

AlGaN/GaN HEMTs-an overview of device operation and applications

More than one-fifth of US electricity is used to power artificial lighting. Light-emitting diodes based on group III/nitride semiconductors are bringing about a revolution in energy-efficient lighting.

Prospects for LED lighting

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

In GaN/(Al,Ga)N high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMT), AlN interlayer between GaN channel and AlGaN barrier suppresses alloy scattering and significantly improves the electron mobility of the two-dimensional electron gas. While high concentrations of gallium were previously observed in Al-polar AlN interlayers grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, the N-polar AlN (Al x Ga1?x N) films examined by atom probe tomography in this study exhibited aluminum compositions (x) equal to or higher than 95% over a wide range of growth conditions. The also investigated AlN interlayer in a N-polar GaN/AlN/AlGaN/ S.I. GaN HEMT structure possessed a similarly high x content.

http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6641/aa8b30/pdf

Characterization of N-polar AlN in GaN/AlN/(Al,Ga)N heterostructures grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

High quality nonpolar a -plane GaN templates were grown by utilizing sidewall lateral epitaxial overgrowth (SLEO) technique with threading dislocation density of ∼106–107 cm–2. 360 nm GaN/AlGaN multiple quantum well ultraviolet light emitting diodes were grown with metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Reduced defect density SLEO a- plane, planar a -plane, and planar c -plane templates were co-loaded for device growth and processed together in order to make relative device performance comparison. For SLEO a -plane LEDs E EL peak position was measured at 360 nm and it was independent of drive current. The linewidth of the emission was 7 nm. The series resistance of these diodes was as low as 16.5 Ω and the forward voltage was measured as 4.08 V at 20 mA. The external quantum efficiency of the high quality SLEO a -plane devices was ∼275× higher than planar a -plane devices. The highest output power was realized at 200 mA as 65 μW. The effect of contact geometry on electrical and optical characteristics of the devices was also discussed. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Improved quality nonpolar a ‐plane GaN/AlGaN UV LEDs grown with sidewall lateral epitaxial overgrowth (SLEO)

InGaN quantum dots (QDs) were grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and shown to exhibit a bimodal size distribution. Atom probe tomography (APT) was used to characterize the dots in conjunction with atomic force microscopy, photoluminescence, and x-ray diffraction. Small dots with low indium contents were found to coexist with larger, very high indium composition dots. Significant compositional fluctuations were observed in the small dot population. The dots showed abrupt interfaces with the surrounding GaN, verifying the ability to cap the dots without causing intermixing for even extremely high indium content dots.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6641/ab4b93/pdf

Characterization of InGaN quantum dots grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

High-electron-mobility transistors with metal-organic chemical vapor deposition-regrown contacts for high voltage applications

In this letter, we report the Schottky barrier diode investigation of ruthenium (Ru) deposited by atomic layer deposition on N-polar GaN. The Schottky diodes showed near-ideal thermionic current behavior under forward bias and reverse bias at various temperatures. The barrier height values extracted from both regions agreed well at each temperature and the barrier was extracted to be 0.77 eV at room temperature. The combination of the 0.77 eV barrier and thermionic current characteristic resulted in $\mu \text{A}$ /cm2 reverse current at −5 V, which is a record-low value for N-polar GaN Schottky diodes. As a comparison, the Ru on Ga-polar GaN Schottky barrier diode, which has a barrier height of 1.0 eV, exhibited a ~ two-order of magnitude higher leakage than Ru on N-polar GaN at −5 V due to other parasitic leakage mechanisms.

Stacia Keller

Papers

Characterization of N-polar AlN in GaN/AlN/(Al,Ga)N heterostructures grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

Improved quality nonpolar a ‐plane GaN/AlGaN UV LEDs grown with sidewall lateral epitaxial overgrowth (SLEO)

Characterization of InGaN quantum dots grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

High-electron-mobility transistors with metal-organic chemical vapor deposition-regrown contacts for high voltage applications

Ru/N-Polar GaN Schottky Diode With Less Than 2 μA/cm² Reverse Current