Bandgap measurements and the peculiar splitting of E2H phonon modes of InxAl1-xN nanowires grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy

The dislocation free Inx Al 1-xN nanowires (NWs) are grown on Si(111) by nitrogen plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy in the temperature regime of 490 °C–610 °C yielding In composition ranges over 0.50 ≤ x ≤ 0.17. We study the optical properties of these NWs by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), photoluminescence, and Raman spectroscopies since they possesses minimal strain with reduced defects comparative to the planar films. The optical bandgap measurements of Inx Al 1-xN NWs are demonstrated by SE where the absorption edges of the NW samples are evaluated irrespective of substrate transparency. A systematic Stoke shift of 0.04–0.27 eV with increasing x was observed when comparing the micro-photoluminescence spectra with the Tauc plot derived from SE. The micro-Raman spectra in the NWs with x = 0.5 showed two-mode behavior for A1(LO) phonons and single mode behavior for E2 H phonons. As for x = 0.17, i.e., high Al content, we observed a peculiar E2 H phonon mode splitting. Further, we observe composition dependent frequency shifts. The 77 to 600 K micro-Raman spectroscopy measurements show that both AlN- and InN-like modes of A1(LO) and E2 H phonons in Inx Al 1-xN NWs are redshifted with increasing temperature, similar to that of the binary III group nitride semiconductors. These studies of the optical properties of the technologically important Inx Al 1-xN nanowires will path the way towards lasers and light-emitting diodes in the wavelength of the ultra-violet and visible range.