Effects of TMIn flow rate during quantum barrier growth on multi-quantum well material properties and device performance of GaN-based laser diodes

Abstract Multidimensional influences of indium composition in barrier layers on GaN-based blue laser diodes (LDs) are discussed from both material quality and device physics perspectives. LDs with higher indium content in the barriers demonstrate a notably lower threshold current and shorter lasing wavelength compared to those with lower indium content. Our experiments reveal that higher indium content in the barrier layers can partially reduce indium composition in the quantum wells, a novel discovery. Employing higher indium content barrier layers leads to improved luminescence properties of the MQW region. Detailed analysis reveals that this improvement can be attributed to better homogeneity in the indium composition of the well layers along the epitaxy direction. InGaN barrier layers suppress the lattice mismatch between barrier and well layers, thus mitigating the indium content pulling effect in the well layers. In supplement to experimental analysis, theoretical computations are performed, showing that InGaN barrier structures can effectively enhance carrier recombination efficiency and optical confinement of LD structure, thus improving the output efficiency of GaN-based blue LDs. Combining these theoretical insights with our experimental data, we propose that higher indium content barriers effectively enhance carrier recombination efficiency and indium content homogeneity in quantum well layers, thereby improving the output performance of GaN-based blue LDs.