Thermal degradation of InGaN/GaN quantum wells in blue laser diode structure during the epitaxial growth

True blue nitride laser diodes (LDs) are one of the key challenges for epitaxy of nitrides due to the variety of its potential applications. The growth of high temperature p-type layers may cause thermal degradation of the InGaN-based multiple quantum wells (MQWs) active region because of the annealing effect, since thick p-AlGaN layers were introduced as upper optical cladding layer in the LDs. The degradation was found in blue LDs grown on both Si and sapphire substrate. In the degraded LD wafer samples, "Dark" non-radiative MQWs regions were observed by microscopic photoluminescence. Formation of metallic indium precipitates and voids in these regions were confirmed by transmission electron microscope. The thermal degradation is attributed to the decomposition of indium-rich InGaN materials in the MQWs. The indium-rich InGaN materials were supposed to be accumulated at dislocation related V-shaped pits according to the surface morphology by atomic force microscope. To obtain high quality InGaN-based MQWs, one of the four methods can be introduced to eliminate the degradation. A lower thermal budget can suppress the decomposition of indium-rich InGaN clusters by a lower p-cladding layer growth temperature. The use of low threading dislocation density substrates results in low density indium-rich InGaN clusters. The introducing of H₂ carrier gas during the quantum barriers growth or a 2-step growth scheme with a higher quantum barrier growth temperature etches off the indium-rich InGaN clusters. The suppression of the thermal degradation in the MQWs makes it possible for lasing of blue laser diode directly grown on Si.