Composition dependent valence band order in c-oriented wurtzite AlGaN layers

The valence band order of polar wurtzite aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) layers is analyzed for a dense series of samples, grown heteroepitaxially on sapphire substrates, covering the complete composition range. The excitonic transition energies, found by temperature dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, were corrected to the unstrained state using input from X-ray diffraction. k⋅p theory yields a critical relative aluminum concentration xc=(0.09±0.05) for the crossing of the uppermost two valence bands for strain free material, shifting to higher values for compressively strained samples, as supported by polarization dependent PL. The analysis of the strain dependent valence band crossing reconciles the findings of other research groups, where sample strain was neglected. We found a bowing for the energy band gap to the valence band with Γ9 symmetry of bΓ9=0.85eV, and propose a possible bowing for the crystal field energy of bcf=−0.12eV. A comparison of the light extraction efficiency perpendicular and parallel to the c axis of AlxGa1-xN/AlyGa1-yN quantum well structures is discussed for different compositions.