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Experimental method for scanning the surface depletion region in nitride based heterostructures
C. Netzel1, J. Skriniarova2, M. Herms1, H. Wenzel1, V. Hoffmann1, A. Knauer1, and M. Weyers1
1 Ferdinand-Braun-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik, Gustav-Kirchhoff-Strasse 4, 12489 Berlin, Germany
2 Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Slovak University of Technology, 81219 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Published in:
phys. stat. sol. (c), vol. 6, no. S2, pp. S691-S694 (2009).
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Abstract:
The group-III-nitride semiconductors feature strong spontaneous
polarization in the [0001] direction and charges on the
respective polar surfaces. Within the resulting surface depletion
region the surface field causes band banding and affects
the optical transitions in quantum wells. We studied the
changes of the emission characteristics of a single GaInN
quantum well when its distance to the surface and the influence
of the surface field varies. We observe a strong increase
of the quantum well emission energy and a decrease of the
line width when the surface field partially compensates the
piezoelectric field of the quantum well. A scan of the total
surface depletion region with a single quantum well as probe
was performed. The obtained emission data allow for the direct
determination of the width of the depletion region. The
experimental method is promising for studies of the surface
field and the surface potential of III-nitride surfaces and interfaces.
PACS:
68.35.bg, 73.20.-r, 78.55.Cr, 78.67.De, 81.65.Cf.
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