Molecular Beam Epitaxy

12MBE of III‐Nitride Heterostructures for Optoelectronic Devices

C. Skierbiszewski^1,2, G. Muziol¹, H. Turski¹, M. Siekacz¹, K. Nowakowski‐Szkudlarek¹, A. Feduniewicz‐Żmuda¹, P. Wolny¹ and M. Sawicka^1,2

¹Institute of High Pressure Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sokolowska 29/37, 01‐142 Warsaw, Poland

²TopGaN Ltd., Sokolowska 29/37, 01‐142 Warsaw, Poland

12.1 Introduction

Gallium nitride (GaN) is considered to be the semiconductor of the twenty‐first century. A direct bandgap that covers the full visible spectral range, starting from 0.7 eV for InN, through 3.4 eV for GaN and 6.0 eV for AlN, makes it an ideal candidate for application in optoelectronics [1]. The initial material quality challenges related to lack of native GaN substrates and difficulties in p‐type doping have not discouraged interest in nitrides. In fact, they triggered even more intensive research to understand and overcome the factors limiting progress [2,3]. The first demonstration of a blue‐violet laser diode (LD) by Shuji Nakamura was done at Nichia Co. in 1996 [4,5], and since then numerous technology advancements and improvements in structure design have been reported [6]. Nowadays, nitride‐based light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) and LDs are widely used in general lighting, projection and displays, data storage, sensors, high‐resolution printing, and light‐based communication systems, thus having unquestionably a great impact on human life.

Two technologies are commonly used to fabricate the epitaxial structures ...