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- ItemImproving AlN Crystal Quality and Strain Management on Nanopatterned Sapphire Substrates by High-Temperature Annealing for UVC Light-Emitting Diodes(Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2020) Hagedorn, Sylvia; Walde, Sebastian; Susilo, Norman; Netzel, Carsten; Tillner, Nadine; Unger, Ralph-Stephan; Manley, Phillip; Ziffer, Eviathar; Wernicke, Tim; Becker, Christiane; Lugauer, Hans-Jürgen; Kneissl, Michael; Weyers, MarkusHerein, AlN growth by metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy on hole-type nanopatterned sapphire substrates is investigated. Cracking occurs for an unexpectedly thin-layer thickness, which is associated to altered nucleation conditions caused by the sapphire pattern. To overcome the obstacle of cracking and at the same time to decrease the threading dislocation density by an order of magnitude, high-temperature annealing (HTA) of a 300 nm-thick AlN starting layer is successfully introduced. By this method, 800 nm-thick, fully coalesced and crack-free AlN is grown on 2 in. nanopatterned sapphire wafers. The usability of such templates as basis for UVC light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is furthermore proved by subsequent growth of an UVC-LED heterostructure with single peak emission at 265 nm. Prerequisites for the enhancement of the light extraction efficiency by hole-type nanopatterned sapphire substrates are discussed. © 2020 The Authors. Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
- ItemCurrent Status of Carbon‐Related Defect Luminescence in GaN(Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2021) Zimmermann, Friederike; Beyer, Jan; Röder, Christian; Beyer, Franziska C.; Richter, Eberhard; Irmscher, Klaus; Heitmann, JohannesHighly insulating layers are a prerequisite for gallium nitride (GaN)-based power electronic devices. For this purpose, carbon doping is one of the currently pursued approaches. However, its impact on the optical and electrical properties of GaN has been widely debated in the scientific community. For further improvement of device performance, a better understanding of the role of related defects is essential. To study optically active point defects, photoluminescence is one of the most frequently used experimental characterization techniques. Herein, the main recent advances in the attribution of carbon-related photoluminescence bands are reviewed, which were enabled by the interplay of a refinement of growth and characterization techniques and state-of-the-art first-principles calculations developed during the last decade. The predicted electronic structures of isolated carbon defects and selected carbon-impurity complexes are compared to experimental results. Taking into account both of these, a comprehensive overview on the present state of interpretation of carbon-related broad luminescence bands in bulk GaN is presented.
- ItemHigh-Temperature Annealing of AlGaN(Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2020) Hagedorn, Sylvia; Khan, Taimoor; Netzel, Carsten; Hartmann, Carsten; Walde, Sebastian; Weyers, MarkusIn the past few years, high-temperature annealing of AlN has become a proven method for providing AlN layers with low dislocation densities. Herein, the example of Al0.77Ga0.23N is used to investigate whether annealing can also improve the material quality of the ternary alloy. A detailed analysis of the influence of annealing temperature on structural and optical material properties is presented. It is found that with increasing annealing temperature, the threading dislocation density can be lowered from an initial value of 6.0 × 109 down to 2.6 × 109 cm−2. Ga depletion at the AlGaN surface and Ga diffusion into the AlN buffer layer are observed. After annealing, the defect luminescence between 3 and 4 eV is increased, accompanied by an increase in the oxygen concentration by about two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, due to annealing optical absorption at 325 nm (3.8 eV) occurs, which increases with increasing annealing temperature. It is assumed that the reason for this decrease in ultraviolet (UV) transmittance is the increasing number of vacancies caused by the removal of group-III and N atoms from the AlGaN lattice during annealing.
- ItemImproved Efficiency of Ultraviolet B Light-Emitting Diodes with Optimized p-Side(Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2020) Kolbe, Tim; Knauer, Arne; Rass, Jens; Cho, Hyun Kyong; Mogilatenko, Anna; Hagedorn, Sylvia; Lobo Ploch, Neysha; Einfeldt, Sven; Weyers, MarkusThe effects of design and thicknesses of different optically transparent p-current spreading layers [short-period superlattice, superlattice (SL), and bulk p- (Formula presented.)] as well as the type and thickness of the p-GaN cap layer on the electrical and optical characteristics of 310 nm ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are investigated. Scanning transmission electron microscopy measurements display self-organized composition variations in the nonpseudomorphically grown SLs, reducing the effect of increased hole injection efficiency of a SL. In addition, the effect leads to an increased operation voltage. In contrast, the bulk p-AlGaN layer has a uniform composition and the corresponding LEDs show only a slightly lower output power along with a lower operating voltage. If the thickness of the p-AlGaN bulk layer in the LED is reduced from 150 nm to 50 nm, the output power increases and the operating voltage decreases. Finally, LEDs with a nonuniform (Formula presented.) -GaN cap layer from a 3D island-like growth mode feature the highest output power and operating voltage. In contrast, the output power and operating voltage of LEDs with a smooth and closed cap depend on the thickness of (Formula presented.) -GaN. The highest output power and lowest operating voltage are achieved for LEDs with the thinnest (Formula presented.) -GaN cap. © 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH GmbH
- ItemComparison of Ultraviolet B Light‐Emitting Diodes with Single or Triple Quantum Wells(Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2021) Kolbe, Tim; Knauer, Arne; Ruschel, Jan; Rass, Jens; Kyong Cho, Hyun; Hagedorn, Sylvia; Glaab, Johannes; Lobo Ploch, Neysha; Einfeldt, Sven; Weyers, MarkusLight-emitting diodes (LEDs) with an emission wavelength of 310 nm containing either a single or a triple quantum well are compared regarding their efficiency and long-term stability. In addition, the influence of the thickness of the lower quantum well barrier and the quantum well thickness in single quantum well (SQW) LEDs is investigated. Electroluminescence measurements show a 28% higher initial output power for the SQW LEDs compared with the triple quantum well (TQW) LEDs because of larger spatial overlap of the carriers in the SQW as revealed by electro-optical simulations of the LED heterostructures. However, TQW LEDs show a higher output power than SQW LEDs after 1 h operation under harsh conditions. For SQW LEDs, it is found that for a thicker lower quantum well barrier (65 nm instead of 25 nm) the initial output power decreases by ≈15%. A thicker SQW (3 nm instead of 1.6 nm) reduces the initial output power by even 45% but increases the lifetime by a factor of 6 which is attributed to reduced Auger recombination from an enhanced spatial separation of electrons and holes in the quantum wells due to the quantum-confined Stark effect.
- ItemHigh‐Temperature Annealing and Patterned AlN/Sapphire Interfaces(Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2021) Hagedorn, Sylvia; Mogilatenko, Anna; Walde, Sebastian; Pacak, Daniel; Weinrich, Jonas; Hartmann, Carsten; Weyers, MarkusUsing the example of epitaxial lateral overgrowth of AlN on trench-patterned AlN/sapphire templates, the impact of introducing a high-temperature annealing step into the process chain is investigated. Covering the open surfaces of sapphire trench sidewalls with a thin layer of AlN is found to be necessary to preserve the trench shape during annealing. Both the influence of annealing temperature and annealing duration are investigated. To avoid the deformation of the AlN/sapphire interface during annealing, the annealing duration or annealing temperature must be low enough. Annealing for 1 h at 1730 °C is found to allow for the lowest threading dislocation density of 3.5 × 108 cm−2 in the subsequently grown AlN, while maintaining an uncracked smooth surface over the entire 2 in. wafer. Transmission electron microscopy study confirms the defect reduction by high-temperature annealing and reveals an additional strain relaxation mechanism by accumulation of horizontal dislocation lines at the interface between annealed and nonannealed AlN. By applying a second annealing step, the dislocation density can be further reduced to 2.5 × 108 cm−2.
- ItemTemperature-Dependent Charge Carrier Diffusion in [0001¯] Direction of GaN Determined by Luminescence Evaluation of Buried InGaN Quantum Wells(Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2020) Netzel, Carsten; Hoffmann, Veit; Tomm, Jens W.; Mahler, Felix; Einfeldt, Sven; Weyers, MarkusTemperature-dependent transport of photoexcited charge carriers through a nominally undoped, c-plane GaN layer toward buried InGaN quantum wells is investigated by continuous-wave and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. The excitation of the buried InGaN quantum wells is dominated by charge carrier diffusion through the GaN layer; photon recycling contributes only slightly. With temperature decreasing from 310 to 10 K, the diffusion length in [0001⎯⎯] direction increases from 250 to 600 nm in the GaN layer. The diffusion length at 300 K also increases from 100 to 300 nm when increasing the excitation power density from 20 to 500 W cm−2. The diffusion constant decreases from the low-temperature value of ∼7 to 1.5 cm2 s−1 at 310 K. The temperature dependence of the diffusion constant indicates that the diffusivity at room temperature is limited by optical phonon scattering. Consequently, higher diffusion constants in GaN-based devices require a reduced operation temperature. To increase diffusion lengths at a fixed temperature, the effective recombination time has to be prolonged by reducing the number of nonradiative recombination centers.
- ItemTemperature Dependence of Dark Spot Diameters in GaN and AlGaN(Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2021) Netzel, Carsten; Knauer, Arne; Brunner, Frank; Mogilatenko, Anna; Weyers, MarkusThreading dislocations in c-plane (Al,Ga)N layers are surrounded by areas with reduced light generation efficiency, called “dark spots.” These areas are observable in luminescence measurements with spatial resolution in the submicrometer range. Dark spots reduce the internal quantum efficiency in single layers and light-emitting devices. In cathodoluminescence measurements, the diameter of dark spots (full width at half maximum [FWHM]) is observed to be 200–250 nm for GaN. It decreases by 30–60% for AlxGa1−xN with x ≈ 0.5. Furthermore, the dark spot diameter increases with increasing temperature from 83 to 300 K in AlGaN, whereas it decreases in GaN. Emission energy mappings around dark spots become less smooth and show sharper features on submicrometer scales at low temperature for AlGaN and, on the contrary, at high temperature for GaN. It is concluded that charge carrier localization dominates the temperature dependence of dark spot diameters and of the emission energy distribution around threading dislocations in AlGaN, whereas the temperature-dependent excitation volume in cathodoluminescence and charge carrier diffusion limited by phonon scattering are the dominant effects in GaN. Consequently, with increasing temperature, nonradiative recombination related to threading dislocations extends to wider regions in AlGaN, whereas it becomes spatially limited in GaN.
- ItemStatus and Prospects of AlN Templates on Sapphire for Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes(Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2020) Hagedorn, Sylvia; Walde, Sebastian; Knauer, Arne; Susilo, Norman; Pacak, Daniel; Cancellara, Leonardo; Netzel, Carsten; Mogilatenko, Anna; Hartmann, Carsten; Wernicke, Tim; Kneissl, Michael; Weyers, MarkusHerein, the scope is to provide an overview on the current status of AlN/sapphire templates for ultraviolet B (UVB) and ultraviolet C (UVC) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with focus on the work done previously. Furthermore, approaches to improve the properties of such AlN/sapphire templates by the combination of high-temperature annealing (HTA) and patterned AlN/sapphire interfaces are discussed. While the beneficial effect of HTA is demonstrated for UVC LEDs, the growth of relaxed AlGaN buffer layers on HTA AlN is a challenge. To achieve relaxed AlGaN with a low dislocation density, the applicability of HTA for AlGaN is investigated. © 2020 The Authors. Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
- ItemThe Impact of AlN Templates on Strain Relaxation Mechanisms during the MOVPE Growth of UVB-LED Structures(Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2020) Knauer, Arne; Mogilatenko, Anna; Weinrich, Jonas; Hagedorn, Sylvia; Walde, Sebastian; Kolbe, Tim; Cancellara, Leonardo; Weyers, MarkusStrain relaxation mechanisms in AlGaN based light emitting diodes emitting in the ultraviolet B spectral range (UVB-LEDs) grown on different AlN/sapphire templates are analyzed by combining in situ reflectivity and curvature data with transmission electron microscopy. In particular, the impact of dislocation density, surface morphology, and lattice constant of the AlN/sapphire templates is studied. For nonannealed AlN/templates with threading dislocation densities (TDDs) of 4 × 109 and 3 × 109 cm−2 and different surface morphologies strain relaxation takes place mostly by conventional ways, such as inclination of threading dislocation lines and formation of horizontal dislocation bands. In contrast, a TDD reduction down to 1 × 109 cm−2 as well as a reduction of the lattice constant of high temperature annealed AlN template leads to drastic changes in the structure of subsequently grown AlGaN layers, e.g., to transformation to helical dislocations and enhanced surface enlargement by formation of macrofacets. For the growth of strongly compressively strained AlGaN layers for UVB-LEDs the relaxation mechanism is strongly influenced by the absolute values of TDD and the lattice constant of the AlN templates and is less influenced by their surface morphology.