| In the past twenty years, III-nitride devices have had an enormous impact on semiconductor-based technologies. This impact is seen in both optoelectronic and electronic devices. The aim of this dissertation is to take advantage of III-nitride nanowires grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy to form heterostructures that are difficult or impossible to achieve in traditional, thin films. To do this, it is first necessary to establish the growth phase diagrams that correlate the characteristics of GaN nanowires to MBE growth conditions. By using the information in these growth maps we can control growth kinetics and the resulting nanowire structures by making strategic, timely changes to growth conditions. Using this control electronic and optoelectronic III-nitride nanowire devices are created. First, coaxially-oriented AlN/GaN nanowire resonant tunneling diodes are formed on Si substrates. Second, polarization-induced nanowire light emitting diodes (PINLEDs) are fabricated that exhibit electroluminescence at wavelengths from the deep UV into the visible. Because these PINLEDs utilize polarization doping, they can be formed with and without the use of dopants. Device and structural characterization are provided, including a detailed investigation of the mixed material polarity in these nanowires. Finally, the dissertation closes with a discussion of recent work and future ideas for optimizing the PINLED design. |
