AlGaN Quantum Disk Nanorods with Efficient UV-B Emission Grown on Si(111) Using Molecular Beam Epitaxy

AlGaN nanorods have attracted increasing amounts of attention for use in ultraviolet (UV) optoelectronic devices. Here, self-assembled AlGaN nanorods with embedding quantum disks (Qdisks) were grown on Si(111) using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA-MBE). The morphology and quantum construction of the nanorods were investigated and well-oriented and nearly defect-free nanorods were shown to have a high density of about 2 × 10¹⁰ cm^-2. By controlling the substrate temperature and Al/Ga ratio, the emission wavelengths of the nanorods could be adjusted from 276 nm to 330 nm. By optimizing the structures and growth parameters of the Qdisks, a high internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of the AlGaN Qdisk nanorods of up to 77% was obtained at 305 nm, which also exhibited a shift in the small emission wavelength peak with respect to the increasing temperatures during the PL measurements.