Vertical Cavity Blue and Ultraviolet Light Emitters

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0070887NurmikkoIn this project, Nurmikko, his graduate students, and collaborators aim to study, design, and develop optoelectronic device and optical physics concepts that will lead to the realization of blue and ultraviolet vertical cavity light emitters, based on wide band gap nitride semiconductor heterostructures. In particular, the specific goals of the three year program are the demonstration and fabrication of (a) a resonant cavity light emitting diode (RCLED), and (b) a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). Although closely interconnected, the technical challenges facing the development of these new, compact short wavelength devices can be logistically grouped into into two broad areas: (i) the approach and implementation of the optical microresonator structure and (ii) the design and realization of a pn-junction based injector structure. To achieve high Q-factor vertical cavities for InGaN and AlGaN heterostructures, Nurmikko and co-workers aim is to create processing techniques that will create optical structures reaching Q-factors in the 1000-2000 range for reducing the laser threshold requirements. The approach is based on monolithic integration of two dielectric DBRs and also focus on "hybrid" structures with one dielectric and one as-grown DBR. Study of the optical gain spectra of the VCSEL structures forms another key project area, to detail the gain spectra of the InGaN and AlGaN active media for optimizing these for low threshold VCSELS. Nurmikko and co-workers will study fundamental microcavity physics to enhance light emission from InGaN and AlGaN VCSELs and RCLEDS. Excitonic enhancement to oscillator strength can concentrate optical gain so as to significantly reduce a nitride VCSEL threshold. Similarly, spontaneous emission properties for an RCLED are expected to be dramatically enhanced.For achieving a diode vertical cavity emitter, Nurmikko and co-workers will study lateral p-injection in two types of experiments: (i) the use of near field imaging techniques to study lateral diffusion, and (ii) the design of LED microstructures where current spreading can be obtained from electroluminescence spatial imaging. For the blue and NUV VCSEL work they will also concentrate on the incorporation of p-GaN/AlGaN modulation doped heterostructures for enhancing the p-side conductivity. One of the specific features that they will address concerns the tailoring of the electronic structure so that interface scattering can be reduced (hence the hole mobility enhanced). They propose to use the very large built-in piezoelectric and spontaneous dielectric polarization effects to electrostatically design the heterojunction confinement profile. They will also study the use of epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELOG) to facilitate both the incorporation of "buried" DBR mirrors as well as to define current apertures for channeling hole transport to the active device region (as defined by the vertical resonator).A specific characteristic of the ongoing research is a close collaboration with Hewlett-Packard (both HP Labs and the Optoelectronic Division, now renamed Agilent Technologies), as well as Sandia National Laboratories. This industry/government laboratory connection will be an integral part of the project work.***