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We use photoreflectance (PR) spectroscopy to study the electronic band structure modification of GaN films grown along different nonpolar orientations due to biaxial, anisotropic in-plane strain. The exciton transition energies of an unstrained, high-quality C-plane GaN film are used to accurately determine the crystal-field and spin-orbit splitting energies. For films with a nonpolar orientation, the resonant features observed in the PR spectra exhibit a strong in-plane polarization anisotropy and different transition energies from the ones measured in the C-plane GaN film. The deformation potential D-5 is accurately determined from four GaN films with a nonpolar orientation using the measured energies together with the polarization properties and out-of-plane strain. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

We report on the dimensional crossover of electron weak localization in ZnO/TiOxstacked layers having well-defined and spatially-localized Ti dopant profiles along film thickness. These films were grown by in situ incorporation of sub-monolayer TiOx on the growing ZnO film surface and subsequent overgrowth of thin conducting ZnO spacer layer using atomic layer deposition. Film thickness was varied in the range of ~6-65 nm by vertically stacking different numbers (n=1-7) of ZnO/TiOx layers of nearly identical dopant-profiles. The evolution of zero-field sheet resistance (R〉) versus temperature with decreasing film thickness showed a metal to insulator transition. On the metallic side of the metal-insulator transition, R〉 (T) and magnetoresistance data were found to be well corroborated with the theoretical framework of electron weak localization in the diffusive transport regime. The temperature dependence of both R〉 and inelastic scattering length provided strong evidence for a smooth crossover from 2D to 3D weak localization behaviour. Results of this study provide deeper insight into the electron transport in low-dimensional n-type ZnO/TiOx stacked layers which have potential applications in the field of transparent oxide electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dopant-profile independent electron transport has been observed through a combined study of temperature dependent electrical resistivity and magnetoresistance measurements on a series of Ti incorporated ZnO thin films with varying degree of static-disorder. These films were grown by atomic layer deposition through in-situ vertical stacking of multiple sub-monolayers of TiOx in ZnO. Upon decreasing ZnO spacer layer thickness, electron transport smoothly evolved from a good metallic to an incipient non-metallic regime due to the intricate interplay of screening of spatial potential fluctuations and strength of static-disorder in the films. Temperature dependent phase-coherence length as extracted from the magnetotransport measurement revealed insignificant role of inter sub-monolayer scattering as an additional channel for electron dephasing, indicating that films were homogeneously disordered three-dimensional electronic systems irrespective of their dopant-profiles. Results of this study are worthy enough for both fundamental physics perspective and efficient applications of multi-stacked ZnO/TiOx structures in the emerging field of transparent oxide electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A clear signature of disorder induced quantum-interference phenomena leading to phase-coherent electron transport was observed in (Zn, Al)Ox thin films grown by atomic layer deposition. The degree of static-disorder was tuned by varying the Al concentration through periodic incorporation of Al2O3 sub-monolayer in ZnO. All the films showed small negative magnetoresistance due to magnetic field suppressed weak-localization effect. The temperature dependence of phase-coherence length (lφ ∝ T-3/4 ), as extracted from the magnetoresistance measurements, indicated electron-electron scattering as the dominant dephasing mechanism. The persistence of quantum-interference at relatively higher temperatures up to 200 K is promising for the realization of ZnO based phase-coherent electron transport devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polarization-sensitive photodetectors for the ultraviolet spectral range based on M-plane GaN films grown on LiAlO2 substrates have been fabricated and characterized. These detectors exploit the dichroic properties of strained, M-plane GaN films. For a 400-nm-thick film, a maximum contrast of 7.25 between the detection of light polarized perpendicular and parallel to the c-axis is reached at 363 nm. Considerations for the detector design show that thin strained M-plane GaN films will enhance the polarization-sensitive bandwidth, while the maximum contrast can be obtained for relaxed thick films under weak signal detection conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]