Stacking fault formation in the long wavelength InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells grown on m-plane GaN

Nonpolar GaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes (LDs) show great promise. However, long wavelength emitters (lambda > 500 nm) have reduced performance in comparison with violet and blue nonpolar emitters. We present results of transmission electron microscopy studies of long wavelength (1 (1) over bar 00) m-plane GaN LED series and m-plane GaN LDs grown on high quality bulk GaN substrates. I-1 basal plane stacking faults form in the high In content InxGa1-xN quantum wells (x similar to 0.26) for thicker wells. The I-1 faults are bounded by sessile Frank-Shockley partial dislocations that likely limit the radiative efficiency of long wavelength m-plane emitters. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3447940]