Chapter 6 - Growth and Characterization of Structural and Optical Properties of Polar and Non-polar GaN Quantum Dots

Abstract

This chapter deals with the optical properties of polar and non-polar GaN quantum dots. GaN has become a recent member of the quantum dot (QD)-forming semiconductor materials, as a colateral consequence of the huge effort. The interest in GaN and GaInN QDsis motivated by several features specific to the nitride family. First of all, although the situation is rapidly changing due to a continuous flux of newcomers in the business of bulk, self-standing, GaN and AlN wafers production, the high cost of these products means that most nitride devices are presently grown on sapphire or SiC. The chapter explains that optical properties of GaN QDs are as fascinating as structural ones: the large confinement resulting from the large band gap energy difference between GaN and AlN or AlGaN makes these nanostructures of potential interest for room temperature optoelectrical applications.