Ultrawide-band-gap (UWBG) semiconductors have attracted much attention for deep-ultraviolet (DUV) photonics and high-power electronics. However, the physical understanding is in infancy, preventing the potential capacities of UWBG semiconductors to be drawn out. Therefore, the electronic and optical properties should be fully elucidated using such as DUV spectroscopy. Whereupon, another obstacle stands that DUV spectroscopy itself is immature. In the presentation, we therefore talk about the development of DUV scanning near-field optical microscope and the optoelectronic properties of AlN studied by DUV luminescence spectroscopy.
ScAlMgO4 (0001) is a substrate material suitable for heteroepitaxy of In0.17Ga0.83N because lattice matching can be achieved. Although direct growth of In0.17Ga0.83N layers on ScAlMgO4 (0001) substrates is ideal, direct growth by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy results in nitrogen polarity. In contrast, In0.17Ga0.83N low temperature buffer layers can flip the polarity. On the group-III-polar In0.17Ga0.83N/ScAlMgO4 templates red-emitting quantum wells (QWs) and LEDs were fabricated. The QWs had much better internal quantum efficiencies than those on conventional GaN/sapphire templates, and electrical drive of LEDs was demonstrated.
Spontaneous and stimulated emission spectroscopies were performed on transparent aluminum nitride (AlN) substrates grown by hydride vapor-phase epitaxy. The stimulated emission was observed from cryogenic to room temperatures and the origin was assigned by the spontaneous emission spectra and existing theories. AlN exhibited a purely excitonic stimulated emission at cryogenic temperatures, whereas the stimulated emission mechanism at room temperature originated from an exciton-electron scattering process. The temperature-induced and excitation-power-induced stimulated emission crossovers were found and interpreted in terms of the peculiar excitonic structure of AlN.
A nitride semiconductor InGaN is a key material for visible optical devices such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes. Recently, InGaN-based red LEDs attain increasing interest due to potential application in micro- LED displays. However, the emission efficiency is the highest in the blue spectral range and drastically decreases at longer emission wavelengths. One reason is the large lattice mismatch between the InGaN emitters and the host material of GaN. To circumvent lattice-mismatch-induced issues, ScAlMgO4 substrates are attractive because the host material can be replaced from GaN to InGaN lattice matched to ScAlMgO4, which can reduce strain in the InGaN emitters. Herein, we demonstrate far-red (∼700 nm wavelength) LEDs based on InxGa1−xN/InyGa1−yN quantum wells (x < y) grown on lattice-matched InyGa1−yN/ScAlMgO4 (0001) templates for the first time.
InGaN-based three dimensional structures fabricated on (-1-12-2) through a regrowth technique are promising for highly efficient polychromatic emitters because the structures do not involve (0001) polar-plane facets. We experimentally demonstrate (1) fast radiative recombination in all the facet quantum wells, (2) structure and eventually emission color tunability through the control of mask geometry for the regrowth, and (3) LED operation with pastel and white color emission. These findings suggest promising features of our polar-plane-free faceted InGaN quantum wells as the next generation visible emitters.
Photoluminescence, electroluminescence, and bias-dependent time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopies are performed to study the current injection efficiency, internal quantum efficiency, and light external quantum efficiency of 265-nm AlGaN DUV LEDs grown on AlN substrates. The studies showed that the current injection and light extraction efficiencies, and not the internal quantum efficiency, limit the external quantum efficiency. To solve the issue, we revisited the effect of Si-doping in AlN. Our spectroscopic study deduced the significantly lower neutral Si donor bound exciton and Si donor binding energies than those reported, indicating the possibility to realize highly conductive and transparent n-type AlN:Si layers.
GaN/AlN ultrathin quantum wells (QWs) were grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy using a self-limiting process of GaN thickness to the monolayer (ML) level. 1 ML GaN/AlN QWs emit at 225 nm. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity ratio between low and room temperatures is improved from 0.1% for a conventional AlGaN-based QW emitting at 235 nm to 5% the 1 ML GaN QW. Further improvement to 50% was achieved by an ultrathin GaN QW on r-plane, showing promise of ultrathin GaN QWs as efficient UV emitters.
Photoluminescence spectroscopy using a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) is a powerful technique to study luminescence properties of III-Nitride semiconductors. To date, we have developed a SNOM with an excitation and a detection wavelength of 210 nm and >220 nm, respectively.[1] The deep-ultraviolet (DUV) SNOM has the shortest operation wavelength ever reported and visualizes the localized emission nature of Al-rich AlGaN quantum wells with a spatial resolution exceeding 150 nm. In the presentation, recent progresses of our study using the DUV-SNOM are given.
[1] Ishii et al., APL Photonics 4, 070801 (2019).
The effects of the structure design of AlGaN-based quantum wells (QWs) on the optical properties are discussed. We demonstrate that to achieve efficient emission in the germicidal wavelength range (250 – 280 nm), AlxGa1−xN QWs in an AlyGa1−yN matrix (x < y) is quite effective, compared with those in an AlN matrix: Time-resolved photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence spectroscopies show that the AlyGa1−yN matrix can enhance the radiative recombination process and can prevent misfit dislocations, which act as non-radiative recombination centers, from being induced in the QW interface. As a result, the emission intensity at room temperature is about 2.7 times larger for the AlxGa1−xN QW in the AlyGa1−yN matrix than that in the AlN matrix. We also point out that further reduction of point defects is crucial to achieve an even higher emission efficiency.
The surface plasmon (SP) resonance was used to increase the emission efficiencies toward high efficiency light-emitting diodes (LEDs). We obtained the enhancements of the electroluminescence from the fabricated plasmonic LED device structure by employing the very thin p+-GaN layer. The further enhancements should be achievable by optimization of the metal and device structures. Next important challenge is to extend this method from the visible to the deep UV region. By using Aluminum, we obtained the enhancements of emissions at ~260 nm from AlGaN/AlN quantum wells. We succeeded to control the SP resonance by using the various metal nanostructures. These localized SP resonance spectra in the deep-UV regions presented here would be useful to enhance deep UV emissions of super wide bandgap materials such as AlGaN/AlN. We believe that our approaches based on ultra-deep UV plasmonics would bring high efficiency ultra-deep UV light sources.
We propose to use quantum wires (QWRs) instead of quantum wells (QWs) to improve the internal quantum efficiency of AlGaN UV emitters. Crystal growth of AlGaN on the AlN vicinal (0001) surface with bunched steps creates Al-less AlGaN QWRs at the bunched step edges. Cathodoluminescence maps indicate the formation of the potential minima along the step edges. Photoluminescence spectroscopy reveals that the thermal quenching in the QWRs is suppressed by approximately one order of magnitude, compared with that in conventional (0001) AlGaN/AlN QWs, and the spectra are dominated by the QWR emissions at room temperature. We attribute the superior optical property of the AlGaN QWRs to the enhanced radiative recombination processes.
Various semipolar AlGaN/AlN quantum wells (QWs) with atomically smooth surfaces and abrupt interfaces are fabricated on AlN bulk substrates. While keeping the crystal qualities, we can easily adjust the Al compositions in the semipolar AlGaN QWs by changing growth temperatures, similar to the case of conventional (0001) AlGaN QWs. Due to the small internal electric fields in the semipolar QWs, the energy fluctuations are extremely suppressed and the radiative recombination lifetimes are drastically shortened, compared with the (0001) QWs. The shorter radiative recombination lifetimes realize much stronger emissions from the semipolar QWs.
We describe the optical properties of semi/non-polar InGaN and AlGaN quantum wells. In semipolar (11¯22) InGaN QWs, spatially uniform but spectrally broad emissions are observed. This finding is interpreted with consideration of the exciton migration length shortened by the fast radiative recombination lifetime due to the reduced electric field. Non/semipolar AlGaN QWs are also fabricated. In the semipolar (1¯102) AlGaN QWs, the radiative recombination lifetimes faster than that in the (0001) QW are confirmed experimentally. As a consequence, much stronger emission is achieved from the semipolar AlGaN QWs at room temperature
Faceted three-dimensional (3D) AlGaN/AlN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) with semipolar {1 ̄101} and polar (0001)
planes are fabricated by a regrowth technique based on metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) on trench-patterned
AlN templates. Similar 3D microfacet structures with different height are formed on top of and at the bottom of the AlN
trench. Cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra are separately acquired at semipolar and (0001) facet QWs at room
temperature (RT). The peak energies of {1 ̄101} facet QWs and (0001) facet QWs on higher 3D structures are 5.42 and
5.43 eV, respectively, while that of (0001) facet QWs on lower 3D structures is 5.23eV. Through structural analyses
using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the peak energy difference between the {1 ̄101} QWs and the lower
(0001) QWs is ascribed mainly to suppressed internal electric fields in the {1 ̄101} facet QWs. Furthermore, Al spatial
distribution causes the peak energy difference between the (0001) facet QWs.
Monolithic multi-color light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on micro-structured InGaN/GaN quantum wells are
demonstrated. The microstructure is created through regrowth on SiO2 mask stripes along the [1¯100] direction
and consists of (0001) and {11¯22} facets. The LEDs exhibit polychromatic emission, including white, due to the
additive color mixture of facet-dependent emission colors. Altering the growth conditions and mask geometry
easily controls the apparent emission color. Simulations predict high light extraction efficiencies due to their
three-dimensional structures. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the apparent emission colors can externally be
controlled over a wide spectral range that encompasses green to blue or white at a color temperature of 4000
K to blue along the Planckian locus. The controllability relies on the facet-dependent polychromatic emissions;
the pulsed current operation with the appropriate duties varies their relative intensities and the consequent
apparent colors without seriously affecting the total number of emitted photons, particularly for the blue to
green variation. The proposed LEDs can be fabricated through a simple process and, therefore, may be a key
device for advanced solid-state lighting.
We measure gain spectra for commercial (Al,In)GaN laser diodes with peak gain wavelengths of 470 nm, 440 nm,
405 nm, and 375 nm, covering the spectral range accessible with electrical pumping. For this systematic study we
employ the Hakki-Paoli method, i.e. the laser diodes are electrically driven and gain is measured below threshold
current densities. The measured gain spectra are reasonable for a 2D carrier system and understandable when
we take into account homogeneous and inhomogeneous broadening. While inhomogeneous broadening is almost
negligible for the near UV laser diode, it becomes the dominant broadening mechanism for the longer wavelength
laser diodes. We compare the gain spectra with two models describing the inhomogeneous broadening. The first
model assumes a constant carrier density, while the second model assumes a constant quasi Fermi level. Both
are in agreement with the experimental gain spectra, but predict very different carrier densities. We see our
measurements as providing a set of standard gain spectra for similar laser diodes covering a wide spectral range
which can be used to develop and calibrate theoretical manybody gain simulations.
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