We report on the fabrication and characterization of photoconductive ultraviolet detectors based on insulating single-crystal GaN. The active layer (GaN) was deposited over basal-plane sapphire substrates using a unique switched atomic-layer-epitaxy process. The sensors were measured to have a responsivity of 2000 A/W at a wavelength of 365 nm under a 5-V bias. The responsivity remained nearly constant for wavelengths from 200 to 365 nm and dropped by three orders of magnitude within 10 nm of the band edge (by 375 nm). We estimate our sensors to have a gain of 6×103 (for wavelength 365 nm) and a bandwidth in excess of 2 kHz. The photosignal exhibited a linear behavior over five orders of incident optical power, thereby implying a very large dynamic range for these GaN-based ultraviolet sensors.

The reverse breakdown voltage of p-GaN Schottky diodes was used to measure the electrical effects of high density Ar or H2 plasma exposure. The near surface of the p-GaN became more compensated through introduction of shallow donor states whose concentration depended on ion flux, ion energy, and ion mass. At high fluxes or energies, the donor concentration exceeded 1019 cm−3 and produced p-to-n surface conversion. The damage depth was established as ∼400 Å based on electrical and wet etch rate measurements. Rapid thermal annealing at 900 °C under a N2 ambient restored the initial electrical properties of the p-GaN.

We have confirmed the presence of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in a wide band-gap GaN-AlxGa1−xN heterojunction by observing steplike features in the quantum Hall effect. The 2DEG mobility for a GaN-Al0.13Ga0.87N heterojunction was measured to be 834 cm2/V s at room temperature. It monotonically increased and saturated at a value of 2626 cm2/V s at 77 K. The 2DEG mobility remained nearly constant for temperatures ranging from 77 to 4.2 K. Using Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) measurements the two-dimensional carrier concentration was estimated to be 1×1011 cm−2. The peak mobility for the 2DEG was found to decrease with the heterojunction aluminum compositions in excess of 13%.

The effect of surface polarity on the growth of Mg-doped GaN thin films on c-plane sapphire substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy has been investigated. The doping behavior of Mg and resulting conductivity of the doped layers were found to strongly depend on the surface polarity of the growing GaN planes. The samples grown on the Ga-polar face (A face) exhibited a p-type conductivity with a free-hole concentration up to 5×1017 cm−3, while the samples grown on the N-polar face (B face) were highly resistive or semi-insulating. The incorporation of residual impurities (O, Si, and C) in the two different polar surfaces was studied by secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis and its effect on the Mg doping was discussed. Our results suggest that the A face (Ga face) is the favored surface polarity for achieving p-type conductivity during the growth of Mg-doped GaN.

In this letter we report the first observation of enhanced electron mobility in GaN/AlxGa1−xN heterojunctions. These structures were deposited on basal plane sapphire using low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The electron mobility of a single heterojunction composed of 500 Å of Al0.09Ga0.91N deposited onto 0.3 μm of GaN was around 620 cm2/V s at room temperature as compared to 56 cm2/V s for bulk GaN of the same thickness deposited under identical conditions. The mobility for the single heterojunction increased to a value of 1600 cm2/V s at 77 K whereas the mobility of the 0.3 μm GaN layer alone peaked at 62 cm2/V s at 180 K and decreased to 19 cm2/V s at 77 K. A 18-layer multiple heterojunction structure displayed a peak mobility of 1980 cm2/V s at 77 K.

GaN p–i–n photovoltaic diode arrays were fabricated from epitaxial films deposited on sapphire by molecular beam epitaxy. Peak UV responsivity was 0.11 A/W at 360 nm, corresponding to 48% internal quantum efficiency. Visible rejection over 400–800 nm was 3–4 orders of magnitude. Typical pulsed time response was measured at 8.2 μs. Spectral response modeling was performed to analyze the photocurrent contributions from photogenerated carrier drift in the depletion region and from minority carrier diffusion in the p and n layers. With the model, a maximum internal quantum efficiency of 55% at 360 nm was calculated for the photovoltaic diode structure.

GaN Schottky diodes were exposed to N2 or H2 Inductively Coupled Plasmas prior to deposition of the rectifying contact. Subsequent annealing, wet photochemical etching or (NH&S surface passivation treatments were examined for their effect on diode currentvoltage characteristics. We found that either annealing at 750 'C under N2, or removal of -500-600 A of the surface essentially restored the initial I-V characteristics. There was no measurable improvement in the plasma-exposed diode behavior with (NH&S treatments. 1 DISCLAIMERThis report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. DISCLAIMERPortions of this document may be illegible in electronic image products. Images are produced from the best available original document.GaN-based devices are being developed for two basic classes of applications, namely blue/green/UV emitters and high power/high temperature electr~nics.(''~) The high bond energy, 8.92 eV/atom, of GaN has necessitated use of dry etching technologies for device patterning. Plasma induced damage to GaN may take several forms, all of which lead to changes in its electrical and optical properties, as follows:1. Ion induced creation of lattice defects which generally behave as deep level states and thus produce compensation, trapping or recombination in the material. Due to channeling of the low energy ions that strike the sample, and rapid diffusion of the defects created, the effects can be measured as deep as 1000 surface, even though the projected range of the ions is only 110 A. to 10l8 cme3. In the PL spectrum an intense broad band appeared at 3.05 eV, and there was an increase in intensity of the yellow band at 2.20 eV. The latter is thought to involve defects such as Ga, in some models. Use of Ar+/N2+ ion beams produced less degradation of both optical and electrical properties.Saotome at studied the effects of RIBEECR etching with pure Cl2 on GaN properties. Etch rates up to -1000 A-min-' at 500 V beam voltage were obtained. He-Cd (325 nm) laser irradiation was used to measure PL from RlBE GaN samples before and after photo-assisted wet etching in an 85% KOH:H20 (1:3) solution. The RIBE treatment decreased near band-edge PL intensity by a factor of approximately five, whereas subs...

Schottky contacts were formed on n- and p-type GaN after either a conventional surface cleaning step in solvents, HCl and HF or with an additional treatment in (NH4)2S to prevent reformation of the native oxide. Reductions in barrier height were observed with the latter treatment, but there was little change in diode ideality factor. A simple model suggests that an interfacial insulating oxide of thickness 1–2 nm was present after conventional cleaning. This oxide has a strong influence on the contact characteristics on both n- and p-type GaN and appears to be responsible for some of the wide spread in contact properties reported in the literature.