Effects of a delta-layer insertion on the ultraviolet light emission characteristics of III-nitride quantum well structures

Effects of the AlGaN delta-layer insertion in a quantum well on the ultraviolet (UV) light emission characteristics of wurtzite (0001)-oriented AlGaN/AlN quantum well (QW) structures are theoretically studied. The peak emission intensity is shown to depend on the delta-layers position within the QW. For QW structures grown on Al-face AlN substrate, the light emission characteristics is improved as the AlGaN delta-layer goes away from the substrate. Also, the peak emission intensity gradually increases with increasing Al content xd in the delta-layer. The peak intensity of spontaneous emission spectrum for the QW structure with a delta-layer is increased by about 20-30%, compared to that of the conventional QW structure without the delta-layer.