Absorption Coefficient and Refractive Index of GaN, AlN and AlGaN Alloys

The design of optoelectronic devices fabricated from III-nitride materials is aided by knowledge of the refractive index and absorption coefficient of these materials. The optical properties of GaN, AlN and AlGaN grown by MOVPE on sapphire substrates were investigated by means of transmittance and reflectance measurements. Thin (less than 0.5 μm) single crystal films were employed to insure that transmission measurements could be obtained well above the optical band gap. The influence of alloy broadening on the absorption edge was investigated by using a series of AlGaN alloy samples with a range of Al compositions. The optical absorption coefficient above the band gap was obtained for AlGaN having up to 38% Al composition. The refractive index below the band gap was determined for the same series of samples. These properties provide information critical to the optimal design of solar blind detectors or other optoelectronic devices.