Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 September 2012
We demonstrate 230-250 nm efficient ultraviolet (UV) photoluminescence (PL) from AlN(AlGaN)/AlGaN multi-quantum-wells (MQWs) fabricated by metalorganic vapor-phase-epitaxy (MOVPE). Firstly, we show the PL properties of high Al content AlGaN bulk (Al content: 85-95%) emitting from near band-edge. We systematically investigated the PL properties of AlGaN-MQWs consisting of wide bandgap AlGaN (Al content: 53-100%) barrier. We obtained efficient PL emission of 234 and 245 nm from AlN/Al0.18Ga0.82N and Al0.8Ga0.2N/Al0.18Ga0.82N MQWs, respectively, at 77 K. The optimum value of well thickness was approximately 1.5 nm. The emission from the AlGaN MQWs were several tens of times stronger than that of bulk AlGaN. We found that the most efficient PL is obtained at around 240 nm from AlGaN MQWs with Al0.8Ga0.2N barriers. Also, we found that the PL from AlGaN MQW is as efficient as that of InGaN QWs at 77 K.