Nitride Semiconductors

This timely monograph addresses an important class of semiconductors and devices that constitute the underlying technology for blue lasers. It succinctly treats structural, electrical and optical properties of nitrides and the substrates on which they are deposited, band structures of nitrides, optical processes, deposition and fabrication technologies, light-emitting diodes, and lasers. It also includes many tables and figures detailing the properties and performance of nitride semiconductors and devices.

Research advances in III-nitride semiconductor materials and device have led to an exponential increase in activity directed towards electronic and optoelectronic applications. There is also great scientific interest in this class of materials because they appear to form the first semiconductor system in which extended defects do not severely affect the optical properties of devices. The volume consists of chapters written by a number of leading researchers in nitride materials and device technology with the emphasis on the dopants incorporations, impurities identifications, defects engineering, defects characterization, ion implantation, irradiation-induced defects, residual stress, structural defects and phonon confinement. This unique volume provides a comprehensive review and introduction of defects and structural properties of GaN and related compounds for newcomers to the field and stimulus to further advances for experienced researchers. Given the current level of interest and research activity directed towards nitride materials and devices, the publication of the volume is particularly timely. Early pioneering work by Pankove and co-workers in the 1970s yielded a metal-insulator-semiconductor GaN light-emitting diode (LED), but the difficulty of producing p-type GaN precluded much further effort. The current level of activity in nitride semiconductors was inspired largely by the results of Akasaki and co-workers and of Nakamura and co-workers in the late 1980s and early 1990s in the development of p-type doping in GaN and the demonstration of nitride-based LEDs at visible wavelengths. These advances were followed by the successful fabrication and commercialization of nitride blue laser diodes by Nakamura et al at Nichia. The chapters contained in this volume constitutes a mere sampling of the broad range of research on nitride semiconductor materials and defect issues currently being pursued in academic, government, and industrial laboratories worldwide.

All recent developments of nitrides and of their technology are gathered here in a single book, with chapters written by world leaders in the field.

The development of nitride-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has led to advancements in high-brightness LED technology for solid-state lighting, handheld electronics, and advanced bioengineering applications. Nitride Semiconductor Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) reviews the fabrication, performance, and applications of this technology that encompass the state-of-the-art material and device development, and practical nitride-based LED design considerations. Part one reviews the fabrication of nitride semiconductor LEDs. Chapters cover molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth of nitride semiconductors, modern metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) techniques and the growth of nitride-based materials, and gallium nitride (GaN)-on-sapphire and GaN-on-silicon technologies for LEDs. Nanostructured, non-polar and semi-polar nitride-based LEDs, as well as phosphor-coated nitride LEDs, are also discussed. Part two covers the performance of nitride LEDs, including photonic crystal LEDs, surface plasmon enhanced LEDs, color tuneable LEDs, and LEDs based on quantum wells and quantum dots. Further chapters discuss the development of LED encapsulation technology and the fundamental efficiency droop issues in gallium indium nitride (GaInN) LEDs. Finally, part three highlights applications of nitride LEDs, including liquid crystal display (LCD) backlighting, infrared emitters, and automotive lighting. Nitride Semiconductor Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) is a technical resource for academics, physicists, materials scientists, electrical engineers, and those working in the lighting, consumer electronics, automotive, aviation, and communications sectors. Reviews fabrication, performance, and applications of this technology that encompass the state-of-the-art material and device development, and practical nitride-based LED design considerations Covers the performance of nitride LEDs, including photonic crystal LEDs, surface plasmon enhanced LEDs, color tuneable LEDs, and LEDs based on quantum wells and quantum dots Highlights applications of nitride LEDs, including liquid crystal display (LCD) backlighting, infra-red emitters, and automotive lighting

Semiconductor components based on silicon have been used in a wide range of applications for some time now. These elemental semiconductors are now well researched and technologically well developed. In the meantime the focus has switched to a new group of materials: ceramic semiconductors based on nitrides are currently the subject of research due to their optical and electronic characteristics. They open up new industrial possibilities in the field of photosensors, as light sources or as electronic components. This collection of review articles provides a systematic and in-depth overview of the topic, on both a high and current level. It offers information on the physical basics as well as the latest results in a compact yet comprehensive manner. The contributions cover the physical processes involved in manufacture, from semiconductor growth, via their atomic structures and the related characteristics right up to future industrial applications. A highly pertinent book for anyone working in applied materials research or the semiconductor industry.

The book "Nitride Semiconductor Technology" provides an overview of nitride semiconductors and their uses in optoelectronics and power electronics devices. It explains the physical properties of those materials as well as their growth methods. Their applications in high electron mobility transistors, vertical power devices, LEDs, laser diodes, and vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers are discussed in detail. The book further examines reliability issues in these materials and puts forward perspectives of integrating them with 2D materials for novel high-frequency and high-power devices. In summary, it covers nitride semiconductor technology from materials to devices and provides the basis for further research.

This is the first book to be published on physical principles, mathematical models, and practical simulation of GaN-based devices. Gallium nitride and its related compounds enable the fabrication of highly efficient light-emitting diodes and lasers for a broad spectrum of wavelengths, ranging from red through yellow and green to blue and ultraviolet. Since the breakthrough demonstration of blue laser diodes by Shuji Nakamura in 1995, this field has experienced tremendous growth worldwide. Various applications can be seen in our everyday life, from green traffic lights to full-color outdoor displays to high-definition DVD players. In recent years, nitride device modeling and simulation has gained importance and advanced software tools are emerging. Similar developments occurred in the past with other semiconductors such as silicon, where computer simulation is now an integral part of device development and fabrication. This book presents a review of modern device concepts and models, written by leading researchers in the field. It is intended for scientists and device engineers who are interested in employing computer simulation for nitride device design and analysis.

The concepts in this book will provide a comprehensive overview of the current state for a broad range of nitride semiconductor devices, as well as a detailed introduction to selected materials and processing issues of general relevance for these applications. This compilation is very timely given the level of interest and the current stage of research in nitride semiconductor materials and device applications. This volume consists of chapters written by a number of leading researchers in nitride materials and device technology addressing Ohmic and Schottky contacts, AIGalnN multiple quantum well laser diodes, nitride vertical cavity emitting lasers, and ultraviolet photodetectors. This unique volume provides a comprehensive review and introduction to application and devices based on GaN and related compounds for newcomers to the field and stimulus to further advances for experienced researchers.