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Absorption Coefficient and Refractive Index of GaN, AIN and AlGaN Alloys

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

J. F. Muth
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695
J. D. Brown
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695
M. A. L. Johnson
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695
Zhonghai Yu
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695
R. M. Kolbas
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695
J. W. Cook Jr
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695
J. F. Schetzina
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695
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Abstract

The design of optoelectronic devices fabricated from III-nitride materials is aided by knowledge of the refractive index and absorption coefficient of these materials. The optical properties of GaN, AIN and A1GaN grown by MOVPE on sapphire substrates were investigated by means of transmittance and reflectance measurements. Thin (less than 0.5 μm) single crystal films were employed to insure that transmission measurements could be obtained well above the optical band gap. The influence of alloy broadening on the absorption edge was investigated by using a series of AlGaN alloy samples with a range of Al compositions. The optical absorption coefficient above the band gap was obtained for AIGaN having up to 38% Al composition. The refractive index below the band gap was determined for the same series of samples. These properties provide information critical to the optimal design of solar blind detectors or other optoelectronic devices.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1999

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