Valence-band structure of InN from x-ray photoemission spectroscopy

Abstract

The valence-band structure of clean, high-quality, single-crystalline wurtzite InN thin films prepared with atomic hydrogen is investigated using x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The $\mathrm{In}4{d}_{5∕2}$ semicore level due to the In-N bond is found to lie $16.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$ above the valence band maximum. Experimental valence-band spectra are compared with theoretical calculations of the valence-band density of states (VB-DOS), employing density functional theory within the local density approximation with quasiparticle and self-interaction corrections. Agreement between the experimental valence band spectrum and the theoretical VB-DOS is obtained.