Improved Quantum Efficiency in Semipolar $(1\bar{1}01)$ InGaN/GaN Quantum Wells Grown on GaN Prepared by Lateral Epitaxial Overgrowth

Abstract

We investigated the comparative structural and optical properties of semipolar InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) grown on the <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex Notation="TeX">$(1\bar{1}01)$</tex></formula> facet GaN/sapphire substrate by metal–organic chemical vapor deposition using lateral epitaxial overgrowth. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence (PL), and temperature-varying time-resolved photoluminescence measurement were performed to investigate the structure and optical properties. The cross-sectional SEM image shows that the stripe triangular structure of the QW with semipolar <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex Notation="TeX">$(1\bar{1}01)$</tex></formula> planes is obtained as sidewall facets with the mask stripes aligned along the GaN <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex Notation="TeX">$a$</tex></formula> -axis. The structural and optical advantages of semipolar orientations were confirmed by a modurate shift of the PL peak energy, higher internal quantum efficiency, and lower radiative recombination lifetime than the MQWs on (0001) GaN grown by conventional methods. The results were obtained because of the reduced polarization fields in semipolar InGaN/GaN MQWs comparing with that in polar (0001) MQWs.