Epitaxy, phase separation and band-edge emission of spontaneously formed InGaN nanorods

An In-flux dependent study of the nature of epitaxy, compositional phase separation and band-edge emission of spontaneously formed c-oriented InGaN nanorods on c-sapphire is performed. At higher In flux-rates, m-faceted thick nanorods (≈700 nm) form with two in-plane epitaxial orientations, and display compositional phases with In composition varying from 14 to 63%. In these rods, photo-luminescent (PL) emission is seen to originate only from the localized high-In phase (63%) that is embedded in the low-In (14%) InGaN matrix. As the In flux-rate is reduced, nanorods of smaller diameter (≈60 nm) and a coalesced nanorod network are formed, with In incorporation of 15% and 9%, respectively. These faceted, c-aligned thinner nanorods are of a single compositional phase and epitaxy and display room-temperature PL emission. Optical absorption and emission properties of these nanostructures follow Vegard's law of band-gaps, and the observed bowing parameter and Stokes shifts correlate to the observed compositional inhomogeneity and carrier localization.