Polarization induced effects in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures

Two-dimensional hole and electron gases in wurtzite GaN/AlxGa1-xN/ GaN heterostructures areinduced by strong polarization induced effects. The sheet carrier concentration and the confinement of the two-dimensional carrier gases located close to one of the AlGaN/GaN interfaces are sensitive to a high number of different physical properties such as polarity, alloy composition, strain, thickness, and doping. We have investigated the structural quality, the carrier concentration profiles, and electrical transport properties by a combination of high resolution X-ray diffraction, Hall effect, and C-V profiling measurements. The investigated heterostructures with N- and Ga-face polarity were grown by metalorganic vapor phase or plasma induced molecular beam epitaxy covering a broad range of alloy compositions and barrier thickness. By comparison of theoretical and experimental results we demonstrate that the formation of two-dimensional hole and electron gases in GaN/AlGaN/GaN heterostructures both rely on the difference of the polarization between the AlGaN and the GaN layer. In addition the role of polarity on the carrier accumulation at different interfaces in n- and p-doped heterostructures will be discussed in detail.