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Nearly ideal vertical AlxGa $_{{1}-{x}}\text{N}$ ( ${0.7} \leq {x} < {1.0}$ ) p-n diodes are fabricated on an aluminum nitride (AlN) substrate. Distributed polarization doping (DPD) was employed for both p-type and n-type layers of the p-n junction, instead of conventional impurity doping, to overcome the major bottleneck of AlN-based material: the control of conductivity. Capacitance-voltage measurements revealed that the net charge concentration agreed well with the DPD charge concentration expected from the device layer structure. The fabricated devices exhibited a low turn-on voltage of 6.5 V, a low differential specific on-resistance of 3 $\text{M}\Omega $ cm2, electroluminescence (maximum at 5.1 eV), and an ideality factor of 2 for a wide range of temperatures (room temperature—573 K). Moreover, the breakdown electric field was 7.3 MV cm−1, which was almost twice as high as the reported critical electric field of GaN at the same doping concentration. These results clearly demonstrate the usefulness of DPD in the fabrication of high-performance AlN-based power devices.

We demonstrated the structural optimization of AlGaN tunnel junction (TJ) deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes by changing the thickness and impurity concentrations of p+-type and n+-type AlGaN constituting the TJ. By decreasing the total thickness of the TJ to 23 nm, the operating voltage reached a minimum of 8.8 V at 63 A cm−2. Further decrease in TJ thickness markedly increases the operating voltage. This finding implies that the depletion layer width becomes greater than the TJ thickness if it is smaller than 12 nm. Therefore, we conclude that the TJ thickness must be greater than the depletion layer width.

We demonstrated continuous-wave lasing of an AlGaN-based ultraviolet laser diode, fabricated on a single-crystal AlN substrate when operating at 5 °C. The threshold current density and device series resistance were reduced by improvements to the epitaxial structure and electrode arrangement. A peak wavelength of 274.8 nm was observed for lasing at a drive current over 110 mA, which corresponded to a threshold current density of 3.7 kA cm−2. The operating voltage at the threshold current was as low as 9.6 V.

In this study, we enhanced the emission power of AlGaN-based tunnel junction deep-ultraviolet LEDs (TJ LEDs) by using a MgZnO and aluminum stacked structure as UV reflective electrodes on the anode side. The emission wavelength of the fabricated TJ LED was 284 nm, and the emission power was 57.3 mW at 63 A cm−2. The polycrystalline MgZnO enabled both conductivity and UV transmittance to be achieved, approximately doubling with a reflectance of the fabricated TJ LED at 284 nm compared to conventional TJ LED with Ti/Al. These factors contributed to the increased emission power of TJ LEDs.

We analyzed the p–n junction of an aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) homojunction tunnel junction (TJ) deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diode by phase-shifting electron holography. We clearly obtained a phase image reflecting the band alinement of the p–n homojunction and derived a depletion layer width of approximately 10 nm. In addition, the observed depletion layer width for the AlGaN TJ was in good agreement with the simulated one reflecting the diffusion profile of Mg and Si, thus enabling a discussion on the electrical conduction mechanism for an AlGaN p–n junction.

The presence of hexagonal-pyramid-shaped hillocks (HPHs) in AlGaN epitaxial films affects device characteristics; this effect is significant in DUV laser diodes (LDs) on AlN substrates, where the presence of HPHs under the p-electrode increases the threshold current density and inhibits the lasing. In this study, we investigated the difference between the lasing characteristics of LDs with and without HPHs. It was found that in the presence of HPHs, the threshold excitation power density increased and the slope efficiency decreased by optical excitation. To investigate the cause of these phenomena, we performed structural, optical, and electrical analyses of the HPHs. Various imaging techniques were used to directly capture the characteristics of the HPHs. As a result, we concluded that HPHs cause the degradation of LD characteristics due to a combination of structural, optical, and electrical factors.

In this study, we investigated the relationship of light output power with the optical thickness of the p-layers in AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes with a transparent high-Al-composition p-AlGaN clad layer, a thin p-GaN contact layer, and a reflective p-type electrode. By adjusting the thickness of the transparent high-Al-composition p-AlGaN clad layer, we observed a marked change in light output power. A maximum light output power of 385 mW at 1500 mA, a maximum external quantum efficiency of 15.7% at 10 mA, and a maximum wall-plug efficiency of 15.3% at 10 mA were obtained at an emission wavelength of 275 nm.

We reduced the operating voltage of AlGaN homojunction tunnel junction (TJ) deep-ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) by two approaches: the suppression of carbon incorporation and the doping of a high concentration of silicon in an n+-AlGaN layer. The AlGaN homojunction TJ deep-UV LEDs had a significantly reduced forward voltage upon suppressing the incorporation of carbon in the n+-AlGaN layer. The suppression of electron compensation by carbon in nitrogen sites and the doping of a high concentration of silicon in an n+-AlGaN layer are important for reducing the operating voltage of AlGaN homojunction TJ deep-UV LEDs.

The electroluminescence (EL) uniformity of AlGaN-based deep UV laser diodes on AlN substrate was analyzed by using the EL imaging technique. Although nonuniform EL patterns were observed, the uniformity was improved by changing the position of the p-electrode. The threshold current density was also reduced by suppressing the inhomogeneity of the EL. Cathodoluminescence analysis revealed that the cause of the non-uniformity is the degradation of the active layer and the nonuniformity emission formed by rapid thermal annealing at high temperature after mesa structure formation.

The properties of phase‐separated MgZnO induced by heat treatment are investigated, because the electrical conductivity of MgZnO deposited by sputtering can be improved by heat treatment. The absorption edge shows a red shift, but the transmittance in the ultraviolet (UV)‐C region increases after heat treatment. This is due to the formation of wurtzite (WZ) MgZnO with a high Zn content and a rock salt (RS) structure with a low Zn content induced by phase separation. This suggests that the current path is formed by the WZ crystals with low resistivity, and the transmittance in the UV region is increased by the RS crystals with high transmittance. It is confirmed that the RS structure is partially mixed with the WZ crystal in the in‐plane direction. In contrast, different distributions of crystals are observed in the stacking direction. A WZ structure is formed after RS‐MgZnO is formed on the substrate interface. It is found that Mg is incorporated into the RS structure by heat treatment, and Mg‐rich MgZnO is formed. The properties of phase‐separated MgZnO induced by heat treatment are investigated to improve the electrical conductivity of MgZnO deposited by sputtering. The results suggest that the current path is formed by WZ crystals with low resistivity, and the transmittance in the ultraviolet region is increased by the RS crystals with high transmittance.

We present a deep-ultraviolet semiconductor laser diode that operates under current injection at room temperature and at a very short wavelength. The laser structure was grown on the (0001) face of a single-crystal aluminum nitride substrate. The measured lasing wavelength was 271.8 nm with a pulsed duration of 50 ns and a repetition frequency of 2 kHz. A polarization-induced doping cladding layer was employed to achieve hole conductivity and injection without intentional impurity doping. Even with this undoped layer, we were still able to achieve a low operation voltage of 13.8 V at a lasing threshold current of 0.4 A.

This study investigated the change in carrier concentration near the surface of a silicon substrate during gallium nitride (GaN) growth with an aluminum nitride (AlN) buffer layer. It was observed that aluminum, gallium, and carbon diffused into the silicon substrate during the growth process and that the carrier concentration increased with increasing concentration of aluminum and gallium impurities. The gallium that diffused into the silicon substrate was identified as having originated from the gallium that decomposed on the reactor wall during the growth process and the gallium introduced onto the silicon substrate during GaN growth. In contrast, the amount of aluminum that diffused into the substrate was influenced by the duration of the trimethylaluminum (TMAl) flow: a long duration of the TMAl flow step before AlN growth led to a high aluminum concentration near the substrate surface.

A simple structure with high breakdown voltage and a low leakage current of a vertical GaN p-n diode on a GaN free-standing substrate is demonstrated. We describe a vertical p-n diode with a simple edge termination that has a drift layer etched deeply and vertically. A device simulation revealed that the electric field was more relaxed at the device edge and applied uniformly in the entire device with increasing etching depth. We fabricated the simulated structure and succeeded in reducing the leakage current and improving the breakdown voltage. With this structure, a stable avalanche breakdown can be observed.

A vertical p-n diode with a simple edge termination structure on a GaN free-standing substrate is demonstrated. The edge of this device is terminated simply by etching a drift layer deeply and vertically. A device simulation revealed that the electric field at the device edge was more relaxed and uniformly applied by etching the mesa deeper than the depletion region. The fabricated device showed low leakage current and avalanche capability, and its breakdown characteristics could be reproduced many times. By emission microscopy observation, we found that there was no leakage current at the side wall of the device and that avalanche breakdown occurred throughout the inside of the device. This indicates that the electric field crowding at the side wall of the device was completely suppressed and a uniform electric field distribution was obtained by this structure.

In this study, we investigate how the duration of trimethylaluminum (TMAl) flow steps used before aluminum nitride (AlN) growth affects the crystal quality of an AlN layer and, in turn, the surface morphologies of a gallium nitride (GaN) layer in a GaN-on-AlN-on-silicon (111) structure. A high pit density was observed on a GaN surface grown under an incorrect pre-AlN-growth TMAl step duration. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that crystallographically inclined AlN crystals were contained in the AlN layer grown after the duration, and that these crystals impeded the GaN layer from growing. When the pre-AlN-growth TMAl step duration was short, a high density of dislocations was generated in the AlN layer, and polycrystalline growth began on the AlN surface. When the duration was long, an excessive amount of aluminum reacted with silicon, forming a silicon-aluminum alloy, and the AlN layer grown on this alloy contained crystallographically inclined crystals.

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) films directly grown on c-plane sapphire substrates by pulsed-mode metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy exhibit an interlayer for growth temperatures above 1200 °C. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy shows that this interlayer is amorphous, while the crystalline h-BN layer above has a distinct orientational relationship with the sapphire substrate. Electron energy loss spectroscopy shows the energy-loss peaks of B and N in both the amorphous interlayer and the overlying crystalline h-BN layer, while Al and O signals are also seen in the amorphous interlayer. Thus, the interlayer forms during h-BN growth through the decomposition of the sapphire at elevated temperatures.

In this study, GaN m‐plane Schottky barrier diodes are fabricated by metalorganic vapor‐phase epitaxy (MOVPE) on several off‐angle gallium nitride (GaN) substrates, and the off‐cut angle dependence of impurity incorporation is investigated. We show that the MOVPE layer on the substrate inclined 5° toward the [000–1] direction has extremely low impurity incorporation. These results provide important suggestions for the fabrication of m‐plane power devices. The impurity incorporation in Schottky barrier diodes fabricated by metalorganic vapor‐phase epitaxy (MOVPE) on several off‐cut angled GaN substrates is investigated. The MOVPE layer on the substrate inclined 5° toward the 0001¯direction has extremely low impurity incorporation.

In this study, GaN m‐plane Schottky barrier diodes fabricated with a metalorganic vapor‐phase epitaxy on a GaN substrate were investigated using emission microscope, photoluminescence, and cathodoluminescence. In addition, facet dependence of leakage current under reverse‐biased condition was observed. We showed that the leakage‐current distribution was caused by the facet dependence of the carrier concentration and oxygen concentration. These results can provide important suggestions for the fabrication of m‐plane devices. (a) four‐faceted hillocks on m‐plane GaN MOVPE sample, facet dependence of (b) leakage current and (c) PL peak intensity of the m‐plane GaN Schottky barrier diode.

The background of this cover page shows a superimposed emission microscope image observed from backside of a GaN m‐plane Schottky barrier diode with reverse biased condition. It can be observed that the epitaxial layer of m‐plane GaN has pyramidal hillocks at the surface, and only facets inclined toward the [0001] direction (+cfacet) have emission due to leakage current. Three images at the corner are differential interference contrast microscopy image (upper left), photoluminescence intensity mapping image (PL, upper right), and cathode luminescence image (CL, lower left), respectively, observing the same pyramidal hillocks to investigate the characteristics of each facet. The PL image indicates the intensity of near‐band‐edge emission (around 363 nm wavelength) of the facets. Details are discussed in the article by Tanaka et al. (no. 1600829). The +cfacets have high emission intensity, indicating that there is a high impurity concentration in the +cfacets. Furthermore, we consider this is the reason that +cfacets have high leakage current. The CL image is a panchromatic image, and facets inclined toward [000‐1] direction (−cfacet) have lowest emission. Together with PL intensity mapping it can be considered that −cfacets have less yellow emission and less impurity concentration.

We investigate the influence of crystal defects on p‐type GaN grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. Sets of p‐type GaN films were grown on sapphire substrates and on free‐standing GaN (F‐GaN) substrates simultaneously using various Et‐Cp2Mg flow rates. Although there is a difference of two orders of magnitude between the threading dislocation densities of p‐type GaN grown on sapphire and F‐GaN substrates, there is no significant difference in hole concentration. However, there are problems with the surface morphology of p‐type GaN grown on sapphire. The deterioration of the surface was caused by the difference in nanopipe density. The electrical properties of a p–n junction diode formed on sapphire with a high density of nanopipes were observed using emission microscopy under both forward‐ and reverse‐bias conditions. Our results demonstrate that the nanopipes are electrically inactive, and that other types of threading dislocation have more influence on the current–voltage characteristics.

Low-toxity high-In-content InGaN is an attractive option for short-distance communications through plastic optical fibers because its performance is only slightly affected by temperature. However, its fabrication on the c-plane is impaired by In droplets and V pits, which form at low-growth temperature. On the other hand, unlike the c-plane, $(1\bar{1}01)$ InGaN relaxes with tilting. Therefore, in this study, we first grew a high-In-content InGaN single layer, and then we fabricated an InGaN tilting layer between $(1\bar{1}01)$ InGaN-based multiple quantum wells (MQWs) and GaN stripes/(001)Si. The emission wavelength increased with the InGaN tilting layer's growth time because the strain was relaxed by misfit dislocations at the heterointerface. This layer also extended the emission peak of InGaN/GaN MQWs and increased the photoluminescence intensity with respect to that of a single-layered InGaN. Therefore, the InGaN tilting layer is effective for growing high-In-content $(1\bar{1}01)$ InGaN MQWs.

Recently, GaN, which has remarkable properties as a material for optical devices and high-power electron devices, has also attracted attention as a material for radiation detectors. We previously suggested the use of BGaN as a neutron detector material. However, the radiation detection characteristics of GaN itself are not yet adequately understood. For realizing a BGaN neutron detector, the understanding of the radiation detection characteristics of GaN, which is a base material of the neutron detector, is important. In this study, we evaluated the radiation detection characteristics of GaN. We performed I-V and energy spectrum measurements under alpha ray, gamma ray, and thermal neutron irradiations to characterize the radiation detection characteristics of a GaN diode. The obtained results indicate that GaN is an effective material for our proposed new BGaN-based neutron detector.

We demonstrated lasing action and investigated the optical properties of multiquantum-well (MQW) stripe crystals on patterned (001) Si substrates. Longitudinal and higher order transverse modes were observed from a ridge waveguide structure. These results strongly suggest the possibility of fabricating InGaN MQW laser diodes on (001) Si.

InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) on semipolar ($1\bar{1}01$) GaN microstripes on a Si substrate were fabricated and their optical properties were investigated. From cathodoluminescence (CL) analysis, strong CL emission was obtained in an MQW emitting at 433 nm. However, dark lines appeared in MQWs emitting at longer wavelengths. These dark lines are attributed to lattice relaxation and the generation of misfit dislocations and stacking faults in an MQW, resulting in nonradiative centers. The internal quantum efficiency (IQE) was estimated from excitation-power-dependent photoluminescence analysis. The ($1\bar{1}01$) InGaN/GaN MQW had a high IQE owing to the high crystalline quality of the underlying GaN and the reduced piezoelectric field. The IQE at a carrier concentration of $1\times 10^{18}$ cm-3in a sample emitting at 490 nm was as high as 90%. The efficiency decreased in a sample with a higher indium content in the MQW due to the generation of misfit dislocations and stacking faults.