Phonons, electron-phonon interactions, and phonon-phonon interactions in III-V nitrides

Fundamental properties of phonons in III-V nitrides are examined with a view toward understanding processes important in the operation of III-V nitride devices. Firstly, confined, interface and propagating modes in wurtzite quantum wells are described in terms of Loudon's model for uniaxial semiconductors and the dielectric continuum model. Basic properties of the phonon modes and carrier-phonon interactions are considered in the basis of this treatment of dimensionally-confined phonons in wurtzite structures. A key feature of these phonon modes is their enhanced dispersion and its origin from the non-isotropic nature of the wurtzites. As will be discussed, this dispersion has important consequences for phonon propagation and phonon energy spectra. Secondly, the second-order phonon decay process of combined point defect scattering and anharmonic decay is examined as a means of estimating line broadening associated with the decay of phonons in III-V nitrides of wurtzite structure containing point defects. Thirdly, an analysis of Raman linewidths measured for AlN and GaN wurtzites is made to estimate phonon lifetimes.

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