Devices based on InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well for scintillator and detector applications

Fast scintillators are necessary for electron microscopes, as well as in many other application fields like medical diagnostics and therapy and fundamental science. InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well structures (QW) are perspective candidates due to strong exciton binding energy, high quantum efficiency, short decay time in order of ns and good radiation resistance. The aim of our work is to prepare scintillator structure with fast luminescence response and high intensity of light. InGaN/GaN multiple QW structures described here were prepared by metal-organic vapour phase epitaxy and characterized by high resolution X-ray diffraction measurements. We demonstrate structure suitability for scintillator application including a unique measurement of wavelength-resolved scintillation response under nanosecond pulse soft X-ray source in extended dynamical and time scales. The photo-, radio- and cathodo-luminescence (PL, RL, CL) were measured. We observed double peak luminescence governed by different recombination mechanisms: i) exciton in QW and ii) related to defects. We have shown that for obtaining fast and intensive luminescence response proper structure design is required. The radioluminescence decay time of QW exciton maximum decreased 4 times from 16 ns to 4 ns when the QW thickness was decreased from 2.4 nm to 2 nm. We have proved suitability of InGaN/GaN structures for fast scintillator application for electron or other particle radiation detection. For x-ray detection the fast scintillation response would be hard to achieve due to the dominant slow defect luminescence maximum.