Indium Nitride and Related Alloys

Book excerpt: Written by recognized leaders in this dynamic and rapidly expanding field, Indium Nitride and Related Alloys provides a clear and comprehensive summary of the present state of knowledge in indium nitride (InN) research. It elucidates and clarifies the often confusing and contradictory scientific literature to provide valuable and rigorous insight into the structural, optical, and electronic properties of this quickly emerging semiconductor material and its related alloys. Drawing from both theoretical and experimental perspectives, it provides a thorough review of all data since 2001 when the band gap of InN was identified as 0.7 eV. The superior transport and optical properties of InN and its alloys offer tremendous potential for a wide range of device applications, including high-efficiency solar cells and chemical sensors. Indeed, the now established narrow band gap nature of InN means that the InGaN alloys cover the entire solar spectrum and InAlN alloys span from the infrared to the ultraviolet. However, with unsolved problems including high free electron density, difficulty in characterizing p-type doping, and the lack of a lattice-matched substrate, indium nitride remains perhaps the least understood III-V semiconductor. Covering the epitaxial growth, experimental characterization, theoretical understanding, and device potential of this semiconductor and its alloys, this book is essential reading for both established researchers and those new to the field.