Status of Nitride Based Light Emitting and Laser Diodes on SiC

Abstract

AbstractSingle crystal thin films with compositions from the A1N-InN-GaN system were grown via metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on single crystal 6H-SiC substrates. Blue light emitting (LED) and laser diode (LD) structures were fabricated. The conducting buffer layer LEDs employed an AlGaN buffer layer which provides a conduction path between SiC and the active device region. The external quantum efficiency of the LEDs was 3% at 20 mA- 3.6V and peak emission wavelength of 430 nm. Violet and blue LDs were fabricated and consisted of an 8-well InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) active region in a separate confinement heterostructure (SCH) design. Lasing was obtained both on structures using an insulating buffer layer, and also on structures using a conducting buffer layer. The resulting lasers operated at room temperature using pulsed and continuous wave operation with an emission wavelength of 404-435 rim. The lowest threshold current density obtained for lasing was 11 kA/cm2.