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The structure and optical characteristics of thin (∼30 nm) wurtzite AlInN films grown pseudomorphic on free-standing, c-plane GaN substrates are presented. The Al1−xInxN layers are grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, resulting in films with varying In content from x = 0.142 to 0.225. They are measured using atomic force microscopy, x-ray diffraction, reciprocal space mapping, and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). The pseudomorphic AlInN layers provide a set where optical properties can be determined without additional variability caused by lattice relaxation, a crucial need for designing devices. They have smooth surfaces (rms < 0.29 nm) with minimum pit areas when the In content is near lattice-matched to GaN. As expected, SE shows that the refractive index increases and the bandgap energy decreases with increased In-content. Plots of bandgap energy vs In content are fitted with a single bowing parameter of 3.19 eV when using bandgap energies for AlN and InN pseudomorphic to GaN, which is lower than previous measurements and closer to theoretical predictions. 

Traditional methods for synthesizing InGaN quantum dots (QDs), such as the Stranski-Krastanov growth, often result in QD ensembles with low density and non-uniform size distribution. To overcome these challenges, forming QDs using photoelectrochemical (PEC) etching with coherent light has been developed. Anisotropic etching of InGaN thin films is demonstrated here with PEC etching. InGaN films are etched in dilute H2SO4 and exposed to a pulsed 445 nm laser with a 100 mW/cm2 average power density. Two potentials (0.4 V or 0.9 V) measured with respect to an AgCl|Ag reference electrode are applied during PEC etching, resulting in different QDs. Atomic force microscope images show that while the QD density and sizes are similar for both applied potentials, the heights are more uniform and match the initial InGaN thickness at the lower applied potential. Schrodinger-Poisson simulations show that polarization-induced fields in the thin InGaN layer prevent positively charged carriers (holes) from arriving at the c-plane surface. These fields are mitigated in the less polar planes resulting in high etch selectivity for the different planes. The higher applied potential overcomes the polarization fields and breaks the anisotropic etching.

 

Enhancement mode AlInN/gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) are fabricated by thermally oxidizing the barrier region under the gate. The oxidation is performed at 850 ∘ C in O 2 , and a SiN x mask is used to achieve selective oxidization of the AlInN layer. For comparison, a standard Schottky gate and atomic layer deposition (ALD) Al 2 O 3 metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) HEMTs are fabricated from the same structure and show depletion mode behavior as expected. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) mappings are performed to characterize the gate of the oxidized HEMTs, showing complete oxidation of the AlInN barrier. All the devices are tested to determine their transfer and output characteristics. The results show that the thermally oxidized gate produces a positive shift in threshold voltage at ∼ 4 V and low currents ( ∼ 2 × 10 −7 mA/mm) at zero gate voltage. The oxidized HEMTs are also subjected to postmetallization annealing (PMA) at 400 ∘ C and 500 ∘ C for 10 min flowing 1000 sccm of N 2 , retaining enhancement mode behavior and leading to a further positive shift in threshold voltage. 

Near-infrared electroluminescence of InGaN quantum dots (QDs) formed by controlled growth on photoelectrochemical (PEC) etched QD templates is demonstrated. The QD template consists of PEC InGaN QDs with high density and controlled sizes, an AlGaN capping layer to protect the QDs, and a GaN barrier layer to planarize the surface. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) of Stranski–Krastanov (SK) growth on the QD template shows high-In-content InGaN QDs that align vertically to the PEC QDs due to localized strain. A high-Al-content${\mathrm{Al}}_{0.9}{\mathrm{Ga}}_{0.1}\mathrm{N}$capping layer prevents the collapse of the SK QDs due to intermixing or decomposition during higher temperature GaN growth as verified by STEM. Growth of low-temperature (830°C) p-type layers is used to complete the p-n junction and further ensure QD integrity. Finally, electroluminescence shows a significant wavelength shift (800 nm to 500 nm), caused by the SK QDs’ tall height, high In content, and strong polarization-induced electric fields.