Self-limitation of AlGaN/GaN quantum well energy by built-in polarization field

Abstract

Wurtzite AlGaN/GaN quantum well (QW) structures were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on c-plane sapphire substrates and the QW transition energies were measured by low temperature photoluminescence. Both the well widths and the Al mole fraction in the AlxGa1−xN(0<x<0.3) 100-Å-thick barriers have been varied in order to assess the built-in electric field present in the quantum heterostructures. It is found that the electric field increases linearly with the Al composition. The magnitude of this electric field is as high as 1 MV/cm for an Al mole fraction of 0.27. The main consequence is that whatever the investigated Al composition range, the well thickness must be lower than 30 Å in order to get a transition energy greater than the band gap of GaN.