Optical and electrical properties of III-V nitride wide bandgap semiconductors. Annual report, April 1, 1997--May 31, 1998

The objectives of this project were to investigate the optical and electrical properties of III-nitride wide bandgap semiconductors (GaN, InGaN, AlGaN) and quantum wells, to understand the fundamental optical transitions and impurity properties of these materials, to study the physics components of GaN-based devices, and to provide input for new approaches toward the improvement of materials quality and the optimization of device design. We were the first group to employ transport measurement techniques on the persistent photoconductivity (PPC) state to study the impurity properties of III-nitrides. We were also one of the few research groups m in the world to employ picosecond time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) measurement technique to study mechanisms of optical transitions, LED emission, and lasing m in GaN materials. During this funding period, we have investigated a variety of GaN samples and structures grown by MBE as well as by MOCVD. We have also made a significant progress in MOCVD GaN materials growth. This report briefly discusses the following accomplishments: effects of deep level impurities in the AlGaN/GaN heterostructures; materials characterization of III-nitrides alloys; optical studies of III-nitride epilayers and quantum wells; fabrication and optical studies of III-nitride microdisk arrays; and materials growth by MOCVD