Self-consistent tight-binding total energy calculations: Application to GaAs/Si and ZnSe/GaAs (100) interfaces

Self-consistent tight-binding total energy calculations are performed for various models of GaAs/Si and ZnSe/GaAs (100) interfaces. A graded GaAs/Si interface with the first monolayer on substrate having 1 As atom per 3 Si atoms followed by a second monolayer with 3 Ga atoms per 1 Si atom and continued with 2 bulk-like As and Ga monolayers is found to be structurally more stable than other interfaces. The instability of the abrupt interface is driven by elastic rather than electrostatic forces. Similar results are obtained for the ZnSe/GaAs (100) interface. The graded interface with Ga atoms exchanged against Zn atoms is found to be energetically most stable. Strong macroscopic electric fields are found in the surface and interface regions for both the GaAs/Si and ZnSe/GaAs interfaces.     

Space-charge layers in semi-insulating GaAs: Photoexcited two-dimensional electron systems

Resonant Raman spectra of photoexcited semi-insulating GaAs and Fe/GaAs show features characteristic of two-dimensional electron plasmas. The results are ascribed to the presence of a space-charge layer at the surface, originating in a slight mismatch of Fermi-level positions at the vacuum (or metal) interface and in the bulk. Calculations using values of intersubband transition energies from the data give an estimated shift of ～0.04 eV for the Fermi-level position at T = 85K.     

Photoluminescence of chromium doped and chromium diffused GaAs

Photoluminescence (PL) measurements on the 0.84 eV Cr-related PL line have been made on both Cr diffused and Cr doped GaAs. In the former case, no luminescence is observed below a diffusion temperature of 800°C. The form of the PL spectrum is found to be the same, independent of whether the majority donor species is group IV(Si) or group VI(Te). PL profiling experiments are used to show that the PL intensity is proportional to the concentration of chromium. Although it is possible that a group VI donor is involved, the insensitivity of the spectrum to different donor species and its linear dependence on chromium concentration suggest that the luminescent centre is a [Cr_Ga-V_As] complex.Measurements on growth doped material are typified by the low intensity near the seed and the scatter in PL intensity in samples where the measured [Cr] is nearly constant. By comparison with the results on the diffused material, the anomalously low PL intensity near the seed end is deduced to be indicative of the high crystal stoichiometry in this region.     

Dependence of terahertz radiation on gap sizes of biased multi-energy arsenic-ion-implanted and semi-insulating GaAs antennas

We investigate the characteristics of terahertz radiation pulses using biased multi-energy arsenic-ion-implanted and semi-insulating GaAs photoconductive antennas with different gap sizes in terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. At a specific fluence excitation, with increasing antenna gap size, the absolute values of the (peak) normalized terahertz waveform minimum (valley), as well as the bandwidth, reveal an increasing trend for multi-energy arsenic-ion-implanted GaAs antennas and a decreasing trend for semi-insulating GaAs antennas. We find that the largest reachable bias fields applied to arsenic-ion-implanted GaAs antennas are higher than those applied to semi-insulating GaAs antennas. On the basis of pump fluence dependences of peak terahertz amplitude, we deduce that multi-energy arsenic-ion-implanted GaAs antennas have the ability to acquire higher THz power at even higher pump fluence in comparison with semi-insulating GaAs antennas.     

Zeeman studies of the 0.839eV emission in SI GaAs:Cr

The multi-structured zero phonon transitions of the 0.839eV emission observed in SI GaAs:Cr have been investigated by Zeeman measurements. Magnetic splittings for the directions [111], [110] and [100] as well as angular dependence studies in the (110) plane show that the centre has a symmetry axis along [111] with a small orthorhombic distortion. The emissions cannot be due to the isolated [100] Jahn-Teller distorted Cr²⁺ ions observed in magnetic resonance but to [111] centres such as the (Cr²⁺-donor) pairs as suggested by White.     

Semi-insulating GaAs: A possible substrate for a field-assisted positron moderator

Positron lifetime spectroscopy measurements have been carried out for semi-insulating GaAs with applied electric fields in the samples directed towards, and away from the positron injecting contact. The lifetime spectra have been decomposed into two components, the longer of which (400 ps) is characteristic of open volume defects at the metal-semiconductor interface through which positrons are injected. The interesting feature of these experiments is the large increase in the intensity of this interface component as the field is directed towards the contact. We show that this increase is caused by a significant fraction of implanted positrons drifting under the influence of a strong electric field produced by a layer of space-charge formed adjacent to the positron injecting contact. The general trend of the intensity variation is well explained by the proposed model. Experiments involving the application of an ac bias to the samples strengthen the suggestion that the space charge region is largely formed from ionized EL2 donors. The results of the present work indicate that semi-insulating GaAs possesses properties that make it a suitable material for the fabrication of a high efficiency (10%) room-temperature field-assisted positron moderator. The extraction of positrons from the GaAs substrate into the vacuum through a thin metalization is discussed based upon available positron affinities for the GaAs and various elemental metals. These data suggest that a few monolayers of a strongly electronegative metal such as Au or Pd may allow vacuum emission through quantum tunneling.     

Thermally stimulated currents in semi-insulating GaAs Schottky diodes and their simulation

We report the investigation of the non-irradiated and irradiated-with-pions Schottky diodes made on semi-insulating GaAs. Thermally stimulated currents have been measured experimentally and modeled numerically. To reveal the influence of the single levels, we used the thermal emptying of the traps by fractional heating. Attention is paid to the comparative analysis of the distribution of the parameters of different samples produced and processed by the same technique, contrary to the usual approach of the analysis of a few different samples. The following main conclusions are drawn. First of all, many different levels (from 8 to 12) have been found in the temperature range from 90 K to 300 K in all samples. Their activation energies range from 0.07 up to 0.55 eV, their capture cross-sections are 10^-22–10^-14 cm², and initial occupation is 2×10¹¹–5×10¹⁴ cm^-3. The irradiation with pions does not influence the density of most levels significantly. On the other hand, levels with activation energies of about 0.07–0.11 eV, 0.33–0.36 eV, 0.4–0.42 eV, and 0.48–0.55 eV have been found only in the irradiated samples. Irradiation also increases the inhomogeneity of the crystals, which causes the scattering of the activation energies obtained by fractional heating technique. Received: 13 November 1998 / Accepted: 16 April 1999 / Published online: 4 August 1999     

On the interpretation of photoconductivity and photo-hall spectra in semi-insulating GaAs:Cr

A mixed-conductivity analysis is used to separate the contributions of n, p. and μ_n to photoconductivity and photo-Hall spectra in semi-insulating GaAs:Cr. It is shown that the spectral dependence of μ_n is often important in the interpretation of these data. A room-temperature energy diagram is presented, and includes chromium-related centers at 0.73 and 0.52 eV from the conduction band.     

Probable observation of unusual local vibrational modes in the oscillatory photoconductivity of semi-insulating GaAs

We have observed oscillatory photoconductivity with a period of 20.9 meV in semi-insulating GaAs at T = 18–23°K. These oscillations are associated with the 0.75 eV impurity level in GaAs which has often been attributed to O. It is suggested that the oscillations are due to a cascade process involving multiple emission of a local vibrational mode, of energy 20.9 meV, associated with the 0.75 eV defect.     

Surface preparation effect of GaAs(110) substrates on the ZnSe epitaxial layer grown by molecular beam epitaxy

The effect of the surface preparation of the GaAs(110) substrate on the ZnSe epitaxial layer grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) was investigated by means of etch-pit density (EPD) measurements, surface morphology observation, and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) analysis. The ZnSe epitaxial layer grown on a GaAs(110) surface prepared by cleaving the (001)-oriented wafer in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) showed about 5×10⁴ cm^-2 of EPD. This value is much lower than that observed from both the samples grown on the mechanically polished surface with and without a GaAs buffer layer. Due to the non-stoichiometric surface after thermal evaporation of the surface oxide, three-dimensional growth can easily occur on the mechanically polished GaAs(110) substrate. These results suggest that the stoichiometric and atomically flat substrate surface is essential for the growth of low-defect ZnSe epitaxial layers on the GaAs(110) non-polar surface. Received: 21 August 1998 / Accepted: 19 October 1998 / Published online: 28 April 1999     

非对称耦合量子阱ZnCdSe/ZnSe的荧光光谱与拉曼散射谱

本文研究了非对称Ⅱ -Ⅳ族耦合多量子阱Zn1-xCdxSe/ZnSe的荧光光谱和拉曼散射谱特性。实验中观察到了比较明显的量子阱荧光峰 ;在拉曼散射谱中观察到了分别对应于与ZnCdSe窄阱和宽阱的一级限制光学模LOL 和LOW 及对应于ZnSe/GaAs界面的声子和等离子体的耦合模 ,并对它们进行了简单分析。     

Observation of oxygen contamination at ZnSe/GaAs interfaces using SIMS

ZnSe epilayers were grown on GaAs (1 0 0) substrates using MBE. The native contamination (oxide and carbon) was removed in situ from the substrate surfaces by conventional thermal cleaning and by exposure to atomic hydrogen. A maximum substrate temperature of 600 °C was required for the thermal cleaning process, while a substrate temperature of 450 °C was sufficient to clean the substrate using hydrogen. ZnSe epilayers were also grown on As capped GaAs epilayers, which were decapped at a maximum temperature of 350 °C. SIMS profiles showed the existence of oxygen at the interface for all of the substrate preparation methods. The oxygen surface coverage at the interface was found to be 0.03% for the atomic hydrogen cleaned substrate and 0.7% for the thermally cleaned substrate.     

ZnSe films deposited on crystalline GaAs and amorphous quartz substrates by means of pulsed laser ablation technique

ZnSe films were deposited by pulsed laser ablation on a crystalline GaAs substrate and on an amorphous quartz substrate. The deposition process was performed with the same growth parameters. The films were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, reflectance and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The X-ray diffraction spectra have demonstrated that the films grow in a highly oriented way but having different orientations, i.e. the films deposited on GaAs grow (100)-oriented and the films deposited on quartz grow (111)-oriented. Reflectance spectra as a function of the temperature have been analysed by means of the classical oscillator model, in order to obtain the temperature dependence of the band gap energy. This gives results comparable to those of ZnSe single crystals for ZnSe on GaAs, but it is red-shifted for ZnSe on quartz, because of lattice and thermal strains. The photoluminescence measurements at T = 10 K confirm the better quality of ZnSe deposited on GaAs and show that pulsed laser ablation is a promising technique to grow films having intrinsic luminescence even on an amorphous substrate. Received 29 May 2002 Published online 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: giuseppe.perna@ba.infn.it     

Successful growth of two different quantum dots on one substrate

We report the successful growth of ZnSe and ZnTe quantum dots (QDs) embedded in ZnS on GaAs substrate. These QDs have good optical properties and show quantum confinement effect. High-resolution electron scanning microscope studies show that these QDs are grown in Volmer–Weber mode. It is found that the size of the QDs is controlled by the growth duration. When the growth time is short, high density of QDs could be fabricated, but with a long growth time the small QDs get together to form a large cluster. We also show that with this growth method it is possible to grow both ZnSe quantum and ZnTe QDs on one substrate at the same time. For this dual QDs system, two peaks corresponding to the emission from the ZnSe dots (3.0 eV, blue–violet) and ZnTe dots (2.6 eV, green–blue) could be observed at the same time in the photoluminescence measurement.     

Pulsed far-infrared spectroscopy of GaAs:Cr at high magnetic fields in the field-modulation mode

A magnetic field-modulation technique has been developed for sensitive far infrared electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy on Cr²⁺ centers in GaAs. A hundred-fold improvement in signal-to-noise ratio relative to non-modulation techniques was obtained. The results of this experiment have been analyzed and agree well with a spin Hamiltonian and parameters obtained from microwave EPR studies of Cr²⁺ in GaAs. No evidence could be found to support the view that this ground state is the terminal level of the finely structured 0.839 eV luminescence line reported in earlier high resolution absorption and luminescence studies.     

Long lifetime photoconductivity in semi-insulating bulk GaAs

We report a new photomemory effect in semi-insulating bulk GaAs. Persistent illumination with 1.15 eV photons induces a photosensitivity state in GaAs, which is characterized by a slow decay of the photoconductivity, after the light is switched-off. The most relevant phenomenological aspects of this effect are summarized in this communication.     

On the Becker/Döring Theory of Nucleation of Liquid Droplets in Solids

Nucleation of liquid precipitates in semi-insulating GaAs is accompanied by deviatoric stresses resulting from the liquid/solid misfit. A competition of surface tension and stress deviators at the interface determines the nucleation barrier.The evolution of liquid precipitates in semi-insulating GaAs is due to diffusional processes in the vicinity of the droplet. The diffusion flux results from a competition of chemical and mechanical driving forces.The size distribution of the precipitates is determined by a Becker--Dö-ring system. The study of its properties in the presence of deviatoric stresses is the subject of this study. The main tasks of this study are: (i) We propose a new Becker/Döring model that takes thermomechanical coupling into account. (ii) We compare the current model with already existing models from the literature. Irrespective of the incorporation of mechanical stresses, the various models differ due to different environments where the evolution of precipitates takes place. (iii) We determine the structure of equilibrium solutions according to the Becker/Döring model, and we compare these solutions with those that result from equilibrium thermodynamics.     

A model of Cr in GaAs

We have developed a model of Cr in GaAs which is consistent with a large body of experimental data. It relies or recent spectroscopic models and on our interpretation of redistribution and electrical data, all of which indicate the existence of Cr complexes. The existence of rapidly diffusing interstitial Cr donors is assumed and justified. The model offers a unified picture of the effects of implantation on the Cr profile. It contains mechanisms for compensation and redistribution, which offer an explanation of the semi-insulating properties of Cr doped GaAs and of the two apparently incompatible classes of diffusion and anneal data. The redistribution depends on how the Cr was incorporated and on the vacancy concentration profiles. A study of representatives of the two classes of redistribution data allows us to estimate a lower limit of interstitial Cr diffusion constant and of the vacancy diffusion lengths in GaAs.     

High resistivity layers of GaAs grown by liquid phase epitaxy

The preparation of high-resistivity undoped GaAs layers is described. The layers were epitaxially grown from the liquid phase on semi-insulating GaAs substrates. Up to 10⁶ Ωcm in resistivity were obtained. The layers are highly compensated. Their temperature behaviour resembles that of Cr-doped semi-insulating bulk material. Additionally it is reported on the doping effect of Cr, Fe, Co, and Ni in the liquid phase epitaxy.