Photoelectrochemical corrosion of GaN-based p-n structures

3rd International School and Conference on Optoelectronics, Photonics, Engineering and Nanostructures (Saint Petersburg OPEN 2016)

Fomichev, A.D.^1 ; Kurin, S. Yu^2 ; Ermakovi, I.A.^1 ; Puzyk, M.V.^1,3 ; Usikov, A.S.^1,4 ; Helava, H.^4 ; Nikiforov, A.^5 ; Papchenko, B.P.^1 ; Makarov, Yu N.^2,4 ; Chernyakov, A.E.^6

University ITMO, Kronverkskiy pr. 49, St. Petersburg

197101, Russia^1

Nitride Crystals Group Ltd., pr. Engel'sa 27, St. Petersburg

194156, Russia^2

Herzen University, Nab. r. Moyki 48, St. Petersburg

194186, Russia^3

Nitride Crystals Inc., 181 E Industry Court, Deer Park

NY

11729, United States^4

Boston University, Photonics Center, 8 St. Mary's St., Boston

MA

02215, United States^5

Submicron Heterostructures for Microelectronics Research and Engineering Center, RAS, 26 Polytekhnicheskaya Str., St. Petersburg

194021, Russia^6

关键词: Lateral directions;    Photoelectrochemical process;    Photoelectrochemicals;    Photoelectrolysis;    Piezoelectric polarizations;    Positively charged;    Space charge regions;    Threading defects;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/741/1/012049/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1742-6596/741/1/012049

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

Direct water photoelectrolysis using III-N materials is a promising way for hydrogen production. GaN/AlGaN based p-n structures were used in a photoelectrochemical process to investigate the material etching (corrosion) in an electrolyte. At the beginning, the corrosion performs through the top p-type layers via channels associated with threading defects and can penetrate deep into the structure. Then, the corrosion process occurs in lateral direction in n- type layers forming voids and cavities in the structure. The lateral etching is due to net positive charges at the AlGaN/GaN interfaces arising because of spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization in the structure and positively charged ionized donors in the space charge region of the p-n junction.