Removal of thick (>100nm) InGaN layers for optical devices using band-gap-selective photoelectrochemical etching

We report on band-gap-selective photoelectrochemical (PEC) etching of thick InGaN layers for use in optical devices, such as GaN microdisks, distributed Bragg reflectors, and two-dimensional photonic crystal membranes. Three InGaN sacrificial layer structures are studied: a 300nm InGaN layer, an InGaN∕GaN superlattice, and an InGaN∕InGaN superlattice. Calculated equilibrium band diagrams of the epitaxial structures are used to explain the observed etching behavior. The strong piezoelectric-induced fields within the InGaN sacrificial layers are found to greatly affect carrier confinement and etching behavior. As a demonstration of the etching technique, a free-standing GaN microdisk on an InGaN post is fabricated.