Bright blue electroluminescence from an InGaN/GaN multiquantum-well diode on Si(111):: Impact of an AlGaN/GaN multilayer

We present an electroluminescence test structure which consists of an InGaN/GaN multiquantum well as active region on the top of an AlGaN/GaN multilayer grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy on Si(111) substrate. The integral room-temperature electroluminescence spectrum reveals a peak emission wavelength of 467 nm and a significantly higher brightness than an identical reference structure on sapphire substrate. In microelectroluminescence imaging, two emission peaks at 465 and 476 nm can be separated originating from locally different areas of the diode. Cathodoluminescence measurements in cross section and high-resolution x-ray diffraction measurements show that the structure is less strained than a sample without the AlGaN/GaN multilayer. The AlGaN/GaN multiple layer sequence which has a total thickness of 1.5 mum causes lattice relaxation during growth after a thickness of around 0.9 mum as directly visualized by cathodoluminescence line scans across the diode. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.