Material Design of Ultra-Thin InN/GaN Superlattices for a Long-Wavelength Light Emission
Leilei Xiang,
Enming Zhang,
Wenyu Kang,
Wei Lin,
Junyong Kang
Affiliations
Leilei Xiang
Department of Electronics, Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry, Tan Kah Kee Innovation Laboratory, Engineering Research Center of Micro-Nano Optoelectronic Materials, Devices at Ministry of Education, Fujian Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Materials and Application, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Enming Zhang
Department of Electronics, Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry, Tan Kah Kee Innovation Laboratory, Engineering Research Center of Micro-Nano Optoelectronic Materials, Devices at Ministry of Education, Fujian Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Materials and Application, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Wenyu Kang
Department of Electronics, Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry, Tan Kah Kee Innovation Laboratory, Engineering Research Center of Micro-Nano Optoelectronic Materials, Devices at Ministry of Education, Fujian Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Materials and Application, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Wei Lin
Department of Electronics, Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry, Tan Kah Kee Innovation Laboratory, Engineering Research Center of Micro-Nano Optoelectronic Materials, Devices at Ministry of Education, Fujian Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Materials and Application, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Junyong Kang
Department of Electronics, Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry, Tan Kah Kee Innovation Laboratory, Engineering Research Center of Micro-Nano Optoelectronic Materials, Devices at Ministry of Education, Fujian Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Materials and Application, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
GaN heterostructure is a promising material for next-generation optoelectronic devices, and Indium gallium nitride (InGaN) has been widely used in ultraviolet and blue light emission. However, its applied potential for longer wavelengths still requires exploration. In this work, the ultra-thin InN/GaN superlattices (SL) were designed for long-wavelength light emission and investigated by first-principles simulations. The crystallographic and electronic properties of SL were comprehensively studied, especially the strain state of InN well layers in SL. Different strain states of InN layers were applied to modulate the bandgap of the SL, and the designed InN/GaN heterostructure could theoretically achieve photon emission of at least 650 nm. Additionally, we found the SL had different quantum confinement effects on electrons and holes, but an efficient capture of electron-hole pairs could be realized. Meanwhile, external forces were also considered. The orbital compositions of the valence band maximum (VBM) were changed with the increase in tensile stress. The transverse electric (TE) mode was found to play a leading role in light emission in normal working conditions, and it was advantageous for light extraction. The capacity of ultra-thin InN/GaN SL on long-wavelength light emission was theoretically investigated.
