On the Bandstructure in GaInN/GaN Heterostructures - Strain, Band Gap and Piezoelectric Effect

A study of the optoelectronic properties of strained 40 nm Ga1-xInxN layers on GaN films is presented. The fact of pseudomorphic strain leads to a new interpretation of the film composition when derived from x-ray scattering. In addition we directly confirm that strain induces huge piezoelectric fields in this uniaxial system by the observation of Franz-Keldysh oscillations in photoreflection. As a function of composition (0 < x < 0.2) and strain we derive the electronic band gap energy and the piezoelectric field strength. We interpret both in terms of effective bowing parameters and piezoelectric coefficients, respectively. From a spatially resolved micro photoluminescence at room temperature we find no evidence for spatial band gap or composition variations of more than 60 meV over the length scale from 1 to 50 μm (x=0.187) in our material. At the same time, an observed discrepancy between photoluminescence peak energy and photoreflection band gap energy increases with x to some 160 meV. We attribute this redshift to photon assisted tunneling in the huge piezoelectric fields (Franz-Keldysh effect).