Efficiency measurement of GaN-based quantum well and light-emitting diode structures grown on silicon substrates

The optical efficiency of GaN-based multiple quantum well (MQW) and light emitting diode (LED) structures grown on Si(111) substrates by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy was measured and compared with equivalent structures on sapphire. The crystalline quality of the LED structures was comprehensively characterized using x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and plan-view transmission electron microscopy. A room temperature photoluminescence (PL) internal quantum efficiency (IQE) as high as 58% has been achieved in an InGaN/GaN MQW on Si, emitting at 460 nm. This is the highest reported PL-IQE of a c-plane GaN-based MQW on Si, and the radiative efficiency of this sample compares well with similar structures grown on sapphire. Processed LED devices on Si also show good electroluminescence (EL) performance, including a forward bias voltage of ∼3.5 V at 20 mA and a light output power of 1 mW at 45 mA from a 500 ×500 μm2 planar device without the use of any additional techniques to enhance the output coupling. The extraction efficiency of the LED devices was calculated, and the EL-IQE was then estimated to have a maximum value of 33% at a current density of 4 A cm-2, dropping to 30% at a current density of 40 A cm-2 for a planar LED device on Si emitting at 455 nm. The EL-IQE was clearly observed to increase as the structural quality of the material increased for devices on both sapphire and Si substrates. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.

Part 1: Longitudinal static and dynamic effects in semiconductor lasers. Part II: Spectral characteristics of passively mode-locked quantum well lasers

In the first part of this thesis a study of the effect of the longitudinal distribution of optical intensity and electron density on the static and dynamic behavior of semiconductor lasers is performed. A static model for above threshold operation of a single mode laser, consisting of multiple active and passive sections, is developed by calculating the longitudinal optical intensity distribution and electron density distribution in a self-consistent manner. Feedback from an index and gain Bragg grating is included, as well as feedback from discrete reflections at interfaces and facets. Longitudinal spatial holeburning is analyzed by including the dependence of the gain and the refractive index on the electron density. The mechanisms of spatial holeburning in quarter wave shifted DFB lasers are analyzed. A new laser structure with a uniform optical intensity distribution is introduced and an implementation is simulated, resulting in a large reduction of the longitudinal spatial holeburning effect.

A dynamic small-signal model is then developed by including the optical intensity and electron density distribution, as well as the dependence of the grating coupling coefficients on the electron density. Expressions are derived for the intensity and frequency noise spectrum, the spontaneous emission rate into the lasing mode, the linewidth enhancement factor, and the AM and FM modulation response. Different chirp components are identified in the FM response, and a new adiabatic chirp component is discovered. This new adiabatic chirp component is caused by the nonuniform longitudinal distributions, and is found to dominate at low frequencies. Distributed feedback lasers with partial gain coupling are analyzed, and it is shown how the dependence of the grating coupling coefficients on the electron density can result in an enhancement of the differential gain with an associated enhancement in modulation bandwidth and a reduction in chirp.

In the second part, spectral characteristics of passively mode-locked two-section multiple quantum well laser coupled to an external cavity are studied. Broad-band wavelength tuning using an external grating is demonstrated for the first time in passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers. A record tuning range of 26 nm is measured, with pulse widths of typically a few picosecond and time-bandwidth products of more than 10 times the transform limit. It is then demonstrated that these large time-bandwidth products are due to a strong linear upchirp, by performing pulse compression by a factor of 15 to a record pulse widths as low 320 fs.

A model for pulse propagation through a saturable medium with self-phase-modulation, due to the a-parameter, is developed for quantum well material, including the frequency dependence of the gain medium. This model is used to simulate two-section devices coupled to an external cavity. When no self-phase-modulation is present, it is found that the pulses are asymmetric with a sharper rising edge, that the pulse tails have an exponential behavior, and that the transform limit is 0.3. Inclusion of self-phase-modulation results in a linear upchirp imprinted on the pulse after each round-trip. This linear upchirp is due to a combination of self-phase-modulation in a gain section and absorption of the leading edge of the pulse in the saturable absorber.

Femtosecond superradiant emission in AlGaInAs quantum-well semiconductor laser structures.

Ultrashort superradiant pulse generation from a 1580 nm AlGaInAs multiple quantum-well (MQW) semiconductor structure has been experimentally demonstrated for the first time. Superradiance is confirmed by analyzing the evolution of the optical temporal waveforms and spectra. Superradiant trends and regimes are studied as a function of driving condition. An optical pulse train is obtained at 1580 nm wavelength, with pulse durations as short as 390 fs and pulse peak powers of 7.2 W.

Effect of misfit dislocation originated from strained layer on photoluminescence properties of InxGa1-xN/GaN multiple quantum wells

In-x Ga1-xN/GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) samples with strain-layer thickness lager/less than the critical one are investigated by temperature-dependent photoluminescence and transmission electron microscopy, and double crystal x-ray diffraction. For the sample with the strained-layer thickness greater than the critical thickness, we observe a high density of threading dislocations generated at the MQW layers and extended to the cap layer. These dislocations result from relaxation of the strain layer when its thickness is beyond the critical thickness. For the sample with the strained-layer thickness greater than the critical thickness, temperature-dependent photoluminescence measurements give evidence that dislocations generated from the MQW layers due to strain relaxation are main reason of the poor photoluminescence property, and the dominating status change of the main peak with increasing temperature is attributed to the change of the radiative recombination from the areas including dislocations to the ones excluding dislocations.

Evolution from point defects to arsenic clusters in low-temperature grown GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum wells

Optical transient current spectroscopy (OTCS), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and excitonic electroabsorption spectroscopy have been used to investigate the evolution of defects in the low-temperature grown GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well structures during the postgrowth rapid thermal annealing. The sample was grown at 350 degrees C by molecular beam epitaxy on miscut (3.4 degrees off (001) towards (111)A) (001) GaAs substrate. After growth, the sample was subjected to 30s rapid thermal annealing in the range of 500-800 degrees C. It is found that the integrated PL intensity first decreases with the annealing temperature, then gets a minimum at 600 degrees C and finally recovers at higher temperatures. OTCS measurement shows that besides As,, antisites and arsenic clusters, there are several relatively shallower deep levels with excitation energies less than 0.3 eV in the as-grown and 500 degrees C-annealed samples. Above 600 degrees C, OTCS signals from As,, antisites and shallower deep levels become weaker, indicating the decrease of these defects. It is argued that the excess arsenic atoms group together to form arsenic clusters during annealing. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of (001) vicinal GaAs substrates on the optical properties of defects in low-temperature grown GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum wells

Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and carrier lifetime measurement has been used to characterize optical properties of defects in the low-temperature (LT) grown GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well structures. Two sets of samples were grown at 400 degrees C by molecular beam epitaxy on nominal (001) and miscut [4 degrees off (001) towards (111) A] GaAs substrates, respectively. After growth, samples were subjected to 30 s rapid thermal annealing at 600-800 degrees C. It is found that after annealing, two defect-related PL features appear in the samples grown on nominal (001) GaAs substrates, but not in those grown on miscut (001) GaAs substrates. The carrier lifetimes are about 31 and 5 ps in as-grown samples grown on nominal and miscut (001) GaAs substrates, respectively. The different PL spectra and carrier lifetimes in two sets of samples are attributed to different structures of the As-Ga-like defects formed during LT growth. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)00230-2].

The mode control of asymmetric Fabry-Perot optical modulators with multiple quantum wells

The asymmetric Fabry-Perot (ASFP) mode position with the thickness of different index coating layer is calculated. The reason for the blue shift of the ASFP mode with the increasing thickness of low index coating layer is analyzed and this phenomenon is observed in experiments. With the wet-etching method, the ASFP mode can be tuned to the desired wavelength and thus the deviation of growth can be compensated. This method is used to improve the contrast ratio of modulators. With the ASFP mode located at different positions relative to the unbiased e-hh peak, different modulation characteristics are demonstrated.

ENHANCEMENT EFFECT OF PLASMA-ENHANCED CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITED SIN CAPPING LAYER ON DIELECTRIC CAP QUANTUM-WELL DISORDERING

Quantum well disordering of GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well(MQW) has been accomplished with only plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited (PECVD) SiN cap layer growth. The amount of blue shift increases with SiN growing time. This result has been explained by the vacancy indiffusion during PECVD SiN growth. Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) of the sample after SiN cap layer growth at 850 degrees C for 35 s caused a larger amount of blue shift than those obtained without RTA. By considering the model of Al diffusion from AlGaAs barrier into GaAs QWs together with the result from photoluminescence (PL) measurement, Al diffusion coefficients were calculated. The Al diffusion coefficient due to PECVD SiN was estimated at about 3 x10(-17) cm(2)/s. It was possible to extract the effect of RTA on the QW disordering, which showed that the amount of the blue shift and the Al diffusion coefficient due only to RTA increases with SiN cap layer thickness as reported by Chi et al.(10))

A RESONANT RAMAN-STUDY ON PHONONS IN GAINAS/ALINAS MULTIPLE-QUANTUM WELLS

The LO phonon modes in the barrier layers of a GaInAs/AlInAs multiple quantum well structure are investigated by resonance Raman scattering (RRS), the excitation laser photon energy tuned to resonate with the above barrier interband transition energy. The resonance enhancement of LO phonon peaks are shown to be caused by Frohlich electron-phonon interaction. The pressure-dependent profiles for both AlAs-like (LO(2) mode) and InAs-like (LO(1) mode) Raman peak intensities are well fitted by the Gaussian lineshape. The shift between these two profiles can be explained by the outgoing RRS mechanism, providing information on the pressure-induced shift of the excitonic transition energy. The amplitude ratios of the two profiles are close to 1, showing a well defined two-mode behavior and the nearly equal polarizability for Al-As and In-As bonds in AlInAs alloy.

1.3 mu m GaInNAs/GaAs multiple-quantum-wells resonant-cavity-enhanced photodetectors

A GaInNAs/GaAs multiple quantum well (MQW) resonant-cavity enhanced (RCE) photodetector operating at 1.3 mum with the full-width at half-maximum of 5.5 nm was demonstrated. The GaInNAs RCE photodetector was grown by molecular-beam epitaxy using an ion-removed dc-plasma cell as nitrogen source. GaInNAs/GaAs MQW shows a strong exciton peak at room temperature that is very beneficial for applications in long-wavelength absorption devices. For a 100-mum diameter RCE photodetector, the dark current is 20 and 32 pA at biases of 0 and 6 V, respectively, and the breakdown voltage is -18 V. The measured 3-dB bandwidth is 308 MHz. The reasons resulting in the poor high speed property were analyzed. The tunable wavelength of 18 nm with the angle of incident light was observed.

SiGe/Si quantum well resonant-cavity-enhanced photodetector

Resonant-cavity-enhanced photodetectors have been demonstrated to be able to improve the bandwidth-efficiency product. We report a novel SiGe/Si multiple quantum-well resonant-cavity-enhanced photodetector fabricated on a separation-by-implanted-oxygen wafer operating near 1300nm. The buried oxide layer in SIMOX is used as a bottom mirror to form a vertical cavity with silicon dioxide/silicon Bragg reflector deposited on the top surface. The quantum efficiency at the wavelength of 1300nm is measured with 3.5% at a reverse bias of 15V, which is enhanced by 10 folds compared with a conventional photodetector with the same absorption structures.

An experimental study about the influence of well thickness on the electroluminescence of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells

The influence of well thickness on the electroluminescence (EL) of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition is investigated. It is found that the peak wavelength of EL increases with the increase of well thickness when the latter is located in the range of 3.0-5.1 nm. The redshift is mainly attributed to the quantum confined Stark effect (QCSE). As a contrast, it is found that the EL intensity of InGaN/GaN MQWs increases with the increase of well thickness in spite of QCSE. The result of X-ray diffraction demonstrates that the interface become smoother with the increase of well thickness and suggests that the reduced interface roughness can be an important factor leading to the increase of EL intensity of InGaN/GaN MQWs. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

EER studies of the single quantum well GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs electrode/nonaqueous solution interface

The interfacial behavior of the single quantum well (SQW) GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs electrode in HQ/BQ and Fc/Fc(+) electrolytes was characterized respectively by studying the quantum confined Stark effect and Franz-Keldysh oscillation with electrolyte electroreflectance spectroscopy. The interaction of the surface state of the SQW electrode with redox species and its effects on the distribution of external bias at the interface of the SQW electrode are discussed.

Multiple source quantum well model of porous silicon light emission

Based on photoluminescence, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy results, a new light emitting model for porous silicon (multiple source quantum well model) is proposed.

Cascades of Selective Pulses on Connected Single-Quantum Transitions Leading to the Selective Excitation of Multiple-Quantum Coherences

A symmetric cascade of selective pulses applied on connected transitions leads to the excitation of a selected multiple-quantum coherence by a well-defined angle. This cascade selectively operates on the subspace of the multiple-quantum coherence and acts as a generator of rotation selectively on the multiple-quantum subspace. Single-transition operator algebra has been used to explain these experiments. Experiments have been performed on two- and three-spin systems. It is shown that such experiments can be utilized to measure the relaxation times of selected multiple-quantum coherences or of a specifically prepared initial longitudinal state of the spin system.