High quality GaN-based LED epitaxial layers grown in a homemade MOCVD system

A homemade 7×2 inch MOCVD system is presented.With this system,high quality GaN epitaxial layers,InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells and blue LED structural epitaxial layers have been successfully grown. The non-uniformity of undoped GaN epitaxial layers is as low as 2.86%.Using the LED structural epitaxial layers, blue LED chips with area of 350×350μm~2 were fabricated.Under 20 mA injection current,the optical output power of the blue LED is 8.62 mW.     

Preparation of GaN-on-Si based thin-film flip-chip LEDs

GaN based MQW epitaxial layers were grown on Si(111) substrate by MOCVD using AIN as the buffer layer.High light extraction LEDs were prepared by substrate transferring technology in combination with thin-film and flip-chip design.The blue and white 1.1×1.1 mm~2 LED lamps are measured.The optical powers and external quantum efficiency for silicone encapsulated blue lamp are 546 mW,and 50.3%at forward current of 350 mA, while the photometric light output for a white lamp packaged with standard YAG phosphor is 120.1 lm.     

Analysis of the growth of GaN epitaxy on silicon

Due to the great potential of GaN based devices,the analysis of the growth of crack-free GaN with high quality has always been a research hotspot.In this paper,two methods for improving the property of the GaN epitaxial layer on Si (111) substrate are researched.Sample A,as a reference,only has an AlN buffer between the Si substrate and the epitaxy.In the following two samples,a GaN transition layer (sample B) and an AlGaN buffer (sample C) are grown on the AlN buffer separately.Both methods improve the quality of GaN.Meanwhile,using the second method,the residual tensile thermal stress decreases.To further study the impact of the two introduced layers,we investigate the stress condition of GaN epitaxial layer by Raman spectrum.According to the Raman spectrum,the calculated residual stress in the GaN epitaxial layer is approximately 0.72 GPa for sample B and 0.42 GPa for sample C.The photoluminescence property of GaN epitaxy is also investigated by room temperature PL spectrum.     

Flat GaN epitaxial layers grown on Si(111) by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy using step-graded AlGaN intermediate layers

In this work, we report on the growth by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) of GaN layers on AlN/Si(111) templates with step-graded AlGaN intermediate layers. First, we will discuss the optimization of the AlN/Si(111) templates and then we will discuss the incorporation of step-graded AlGaN intermediate layers. It is found that the growth stress in GaN on high-temperature (HT) AlN/Si(111) templates is compressive, although, due to relaxation, the stress we have measured is much lower than the theoretical value. In order to prevent the stress relaxation, step-graded AlGaN layers are introduced and a crack-free GaN epitaxial layer of thickness >1 μm is demonstrated. Under optimized growth conditions, the total layer stack, exceeding 2 μm in total, is kept under compressive stress, and the radius of the convex wafer bowing is as large as 119 m. The crystalline quality of the GaN layers is examined by high-resolution x-ray diffraction (HR-XRD), and the full-width-at-half maximums (FWHMs) of the x-ray rocking curve (0002) ω-scan and (−1015) ω-scan are 790 arc sec and 730 arc sec, respectively. It is found by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that the step-graded AlGaN layers terminate or bend the dislocations at the interfaces.     

Fabrication of High-power White LEDs and White Light Uniformity Testing

As the blue and yellow lights are complementary colors, a blue InGaN LED chip is coated hy a yellow phosphor film to generate white light based on luminescence conversion mechanism. The emitted light of a blue LED is used as the primary source for exciting fluorescent material such as cerium doped yttrium aluminum garnet with the formula Y3Al2O12 ： Ce^3＋ （in short： YAG ： Ce^3＋ ）. The matching of the spectrum of the blue LED chips and the YAG ： Ce^3＋ yellow phosphor is studied to improve the conversion efficiency. The packaging methods and manufacturing processes for high power single chip-white LEDs are introduced. The uniformity of the output white light is investigated. Based on the characteristics of the high power white LEDs, some approaches and processes are suggested to improve the light uniformity when they are fabricated. The effectiveness of those approaches on the improvement of LEDs is discussed in detail and some interesting conclusions are also presented.     

High-quality homoepitaxial layers grown on 4H-SiC at a high growth rate by vertical LPCVD

High quality,homoepitaxial layers of 4H-SiC were grown on off-oriented 4H-SiC（0001） Si planes in a vertical low-pressure hot-wall CVD system（LPCVD） by using trichlorosilane（TCS） as a silicon precursor source together with ethylene（C₂H₄） as a carbon precursor source.The growth rate of 25-30μm/h has been achieved at lower temperatures between 1500 and 1530℃.The surface roughness and crystalline quality of 50μm thick epitaxial layers（grown for 2 h） did not deteriorate compared with the corresponding results of thinner layers（grown for 30 min）.The background doping concentration was reduced to 2.13×10¹⁵ cm^-3.The effect of the C/Si ratio in the gas phase on growth rate and quality of the epi-layers was investigated.     

Al-free cladding-layer blue laser diodes with a low aspect ratio in far-field beam pattern

c-plane GaN-based blue laser diodes (LDs) were fabricated with Al-free cladding layers (CLs) and deepened etching depth of mesa structure,so the aspect ratio of the far-field pattern (FFP) of the laser beam can be reduced to as low as 1.7,which is nearly the same as conventional AlGaInP-based red LDs.By using GaN CLs,the radiation angle of the laser beam θ(T) is only 10.1 ° in the direction perpendicular to the junction plane.After forming a deeply etched mesa,the beam divergence angle parallel to the junction plane of FFP,θ//,increases from 4.9° to 5.8°.After using the modified structure,the operation voltage of LD is effectively reduced by 2 V at an injection current of 50 mA,but the threshold current value increases.The etching damage may be one of the main reasons responsible for the increase of the threshold current.     

Application of halide vapor phase epitaxy for the growth of ultrawide band gap Ga_2O_3

Halide vapor phase epitaxy(HVPE) is widely used in the semiconductor industry for the growth of Si, GaAs, GaN, etc.HVPE is a non-organic chemical vapor deposition(CVD) technique, characterized by high quality growth of epitaxial layers with fast growth rate, which is versatile for the fabrication of both substrates and devices with wide applications. In this paper, we review the usage of HVPE for the growth and device applications of Ga_2O_3, with detailed discussions on a variety of technological aspects of HVPE. It is concluded that HVPE is a promising candidate for the epitaxy of large-area Ga_2O_3 substrates and for the fabrication of high power β-Ga_2O_3 devices.     

Light output improvement of GaN-based light-emitting diodes grown on Si (111) by a via-thin-film structure

This work reports the fabrication of via-thin-film light-emitting diode (via-TF-LED) to improve the light output power (LOP) of blue/white GaN-based LEDs grown on Si (111) substrates.The as-fabricated via-TF-LEDs were featured with a roughened n-GaN surface and the p-GaN surface bonded to a wafer carrier with a silver-based reflective electrode,together with an array of embedded n-type via pillar metal contact from the p-GaN surface etched through the multiple-quantum-wells (MQWs) into the n-GaN layer.When operated at 350 mA,the via-TF-LED gave an enhanced blue LOP by 7.8％ and over 3.5 times as compared to the vertical thin-film LED (TF-LED) and the conventional lateral structure LED (LS-LED).After covering with yellow phosphor that converts some blue photons into yellow light,the via-TF-LED emitted an enhanced white luminous flux by 13.5％ and over 5 times,as compared with the white TF-LED and the white LS-LED,respectively.The significant LOP improvement of the via-TF-LED was attributed to the elimination of light absorption by the Si (111) epitaxial substrate and the finger-like n-electrodes on the roughened emitting surface.     

Improvement of the efficiency droop of GaN-LEDs using an AlGaN/GaN superlattice insertion layer

With an n-AlGaN(4 nm)/GaN(4 nm) superlattice(SL) inserted between an n-GaN and an InGaN/GaN multiquantum well active layer,the efficiency droop of GaN-based LEDs has been improved.When the injection current is lower than 100 mA,the lumen efficiency of the LED with an n-AlGaN/GaN SL is relatively small compared to that without an n-AlGaN/GaN SL.However,as the injection current increases more than 100 mA,the lumen efficiency of the LED with an n-AlGaN/GaN SL surpasses that of an LED without an n-AlGaN/GaN SL. The wall plug efficiency of an LED has the same trend as lumen efficiency.The improvement of the efficiency droop of LEDs with n-AlGaN/GaN SLs can be attributed to a decrease in electron leakage due to the enhanced current spreading ability and electron blocking effect at high current densities.The reverse current of LEDs at -5 V reverse voltage decreases from 0.2568029 to 0.0070543μA,and the electro-static discharge(ESD) pass yield of an LED at human body mode(HBM)-ESD impulses of 2000 V increases from 60%to 90%.     

GaN技术发展新趋势

氮化镓(GaN)是第三代半导体的典型代表,受到学术界和产业界的广泛关注,正在成为未来超越摩尔定律所依靠的重要技术之一。对于射频(RF)GaN技术,在电信和国防两大主要应用增长行业,尤其是军用领域对先进雷达和通信系统不断增加的需求,推动了RF GaN器件向更高频率、更大功率和更高可靠性发展。文章梳理了在该领域中GaN RF/微波HEMT、毫米波晶体管和单片微波集成电路(MMIC)、GaN器件空间应用可靠性和抗辐射加固等技术发展的脉络。在功率电子方面,对高效、绿色和智能化能源的需求拉动GaN功率电子、电源变换器向快速充电、高效和小型化方向发展。简述了应用于纯电动与混合动力电动汽车(EV/HEV)、工业制造、电信基础设施等场合的GaN功率器件的研发进展和商用情况。在数字计算特别是量子计算前沿,GaN是具有应用前景的技术之一。介绍了GaN计算和低温电子技术研究的几个亮点。总而言之,对GaN技术发展几大领域发展的最新趋势作了概括性描述,勾画出技术发展的粗略线条。     

电流拥挤效应对GaN基发光二极管可靠性的影响

文中报道了绝缘蓝宝石衬底上的GaN基发光二极管（LEDs）中,由于横向电阻的存在造成了靠近n型电极台面边缘局部区域电流拥挤,为此从焦耳热和金属电迁移两方面研究了电流拥挤效应对器件可靠性的影响,加速寿命实验结果表明：电流均匀扩展可以使可靠性得到有效改善。     

SiC衬底X波段GaN MMIC的研究

使用国产6H-SiC衬底的GaN HEMT外延材料研制出高工作电压、高输出功率的AlGaN/GaN HEMT.利用ICCAP软件建立器件大信号模型,利用ADS软件仿真优化了双级GaN MMIC,研制出具有通孔结构的GaN MMIC芯片,连续波测试显示,频率为9.1～10.1 GHz时连续波输出功率大于10 W,带内增益大于12 dB,增益平坦度为±0.2 dB.该功率单片为第一个采用国产SiC村底的GaN MMIC.     

纤锌矿GaN光电性质的第一性原理研究

利用平面渡赝势密度泛函的方法,结合广义梯度近似,对纤锌矿GaN的光电性质进行了研究.对纤锌矿GaN的能带结构、态密度分布、复介电函数和吸收光谱进行了计算.文中分析了纤锌矿结构GaN晶体可能的跃迁及其对应的吸收光谱.结果显示GaN晶体的光学性质与晶体的电子结构直接相关.计算结果为进一步理解和改进纤锌矿GaN的光电性质提供理论基础.     

光子晶体提高GaN基LED出光效率的研究进展

光子晶体作为有效提高LED出光效率的手段之一,在过去的十多年受到了广泛的关注.简述了光子晶体提高LED出光效率的物理原理.从GaN基LED不同光子晶体的结构、晶格常数和高度等参数的影响出发,通过几种新型光子晶体发光二级管的介绍,总结了近年来利用光子晶体提高LED出光效率所取得的研究进展.     

一种GaN宽禁带功率放大器的设计

氮化镓（GaN）作为第三代半导体材料的典型代表之一,由于其宽带隙、高击穿电场强度等特点,被认为是高频功率半导体器件的理想材料。为研究GaN功率放大器的特点,基于Agilent ADS仿真软件,利用负载／源牵引方法设计制作了一种Si波段GaN宽禁带功率放大器（10W）。详细说明了设计步骤并对放大器进行了测试,数据表明放大器在2．3～2．4GHz范围内可实现功率超过15W,附加效率超过67％的输出。实验结果证实,GaN功率放大器具有高增益、高效率的特点。     

垂直结构GaN基LED的侧壁优化技术

为了提升垂直结构LED提取效率,针对器件侧壁出光的研究越发引起研究人员的关注。由于GaN的高折射率,大部分有源区发出的光线将被限制在GaN层内横向传输。对不同刻蚀倾角侧面的光提取效率进行分析模拟,模拟结果显示,LED的提取效率可以通过侧壁倾斜角度的优化得以提升。实验结果表明,特定侧壁倾角器件的提取效率相比较垂直侧壁提高了18.75%,电致发光光谱测试(EL)结果表明,实验结论与理论计算值基本吻合。本结论对垂直结构GaN基LED器件的优化设计与性能提升有重要指导意义。     

球差校正高分辨电子显微像的像衬和解卷处理

本工作将赝弱相位物体近似像衬理论延伸至球差校正高分辨电子显微像,分析了球差校正像的衬度随样品厚度的变化规律。指出非Schemer聚焦条件下球差校正电镜拍摄的高分辨像仍未必反映晶体结构,讨论了解卷处理方法应用于球差校正像的有效性,并以有12型层错的GaN晶体为例,借助像模拟肯定了解卷处理能用于复原原子分辨率晶体缺陷的结构像。     

Ku波段20W AlGaN/GaN功率管内匹配技术研究

文章的主要目的是研究第三代半导体AlGaN/GaN功率管内匹配问题。以设计Ku波段20WGaN器件为例,研究了内匹配电路的设计、合成以及内匹配电路的测试,实现了GaN功率HEMT在Ku波段20W连续波输出功率的内匹配电路,并使整个电路的输入、输出电路阻抗提升至50Ω。最终所研制的AlGaN/GaNKu波段内匹配功率管在11.8GHz～12.2GHz频带内,输出功率大于20W。在12GHz功率增益大于5dB,功率附加效率29.07%,是目前国内关于GaN功率器件在Ku波段连续波输出的最高报道。     

GaN蓝色激光二极管的研究进展

ＧａＮ短波长激光器是最近取得突破性进展而备受关注的光是这研究新域。本文简要论述了２０多年来在发展ＧａＮ发光器件过程中所克服的困难,介绍了目前这类激光器在解理法制备谐振腔端面、干法腐蚀和欧姆接触等关键工艺的进展情况。最后,综述了在获得室温下脉冲及连续工作的ＧａＮ蓝色激光二官的研究方面所取得的最新进展。