Two-dimensional electron gas density in high Al content Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/N/GaN double heterostructure

Abstract

Al content in Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/N/GaN double heterostructure (DH) is improved high up to x=1 by using a compressively strained GaN quantum well (QW) layer. By solving the coupled Schrodinger and Poisson equations self-consistently, we investigate the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) distributions and sheet densities in Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/N/GaN DHs. Comparing to the 2DEG in Al/sub 0.5/Ga/sub 0.5/N/GaN single heterostructure (SH), the 2DEG sheet density in a comparable AlN/GaN/Al/sub 0.5/Ga/sub 0.5/N DH is nearly doubled from 2.31/spl times/10/sup 13/cm/sup -3/ to 4.47 /spl times/ 10/sup 13/cm/sup -3/, mainly owing to the additional piezoelectric polarization in the GaN QW. It is also shown that 2DEG in the GaN QW is increased with increasing the Al content of the top barrier due to the stronger polarization effect and large conduction band offset at the Al,Ga/sub 1-x/N/GaN interface. Increasing the lower barrier thickness will reduce the 2DEG density in the GaN QW while the 2DEG at the lower Al/sub y/Ga/sub 1-y/N/GaN interface is increased, making the total 2DEG density almost a constant.