Photoluminescence of n-i-n GaAs/AlAs single quantum well structures under electric field bias

GaAs/AlAs single quantum well structures designed with well thickness near the type-I/type-II crossover show distinctive photoluminescence peaks corresponding to both type-I and type-II recombinations. Photoluminescence measurements as a function of applied electric field and temperature ranging from 23 to 180 K and current–voltage measurements are presented for two MBE-grown structures clad with Si-doped Al_0.45Ga_0.55As layers onn ⁺  -GaAs [100] substrates. The large and field-dependent energy separation between type-I and type-II luminescence peaks is understood to arise from the build-up of electrons at the X point in the AlAs barrier.     

Pressure effects in AlAs/Inx Ga1-xAs/GaAs resonant tunnelling diodes for application in micromachined sensors

This paper reports the current-voltage characteristics of [001]-oriented AlAs/InxGa1-xAs/GaAs resonant tunnelling diodes （RTDs） as a function of uniaxial external stress applied parallel to the [110] and the [1^-10] orientations, and the output characteristics of the GaAs pressure sensor based on the pressure effect on the RTDs. Under [110] stress, the resonance peak voltages of the RTDs shift to more positive voltages. For [1^-10] stress, the peaks shift toward more negative voltages. The resonance peak voltage is linearly dependent on the [110] and [1^-0] stresses and the linear sensitivities are up to 0.69 mV/MPa, -0.69 mV/MPa respectively. For the pressure sensor, the linear sensitivity is up to 0.37 mV/kPa.     

Piezoresistivity in GaAs/InxGa1–xAs/AlAs superlattice structures

We report on a strong piezoresistive effect in GaAs/ In_x Ga_1–x As/AlAs superlattice structures fabricated on a GaAs‐base cantilever. The measurements of the piezoresistive properties were performed for tensile strains by static pressure experiments. The maximum gauge factor (GF) for the GaAs/In_x Ga_1–x As/AlAs epilayer can be estimated to 200, which is higher than the value of the gauge factor reported for Si transducers. Our results demonstrate a higher potential of GaAs/In_x Ga_1–x As/AlAs superlattice structures for the development of piezoresistive sensors. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Band discontinuity in GaAs/AlAs superlattices with InAs strained insertion-layers

We have theoretically investigated the valence-band discontinuity (ΔE_v) at the (100) GaAs/AlAs interface with the InAs strained insertion-layer. The theoretical calculation is carried out by the self-consistent tight-binding method with the sp³s* basis in the (GaAs)₅/(InAs)₁/(AlAs)₅/(InAs)₁ [100] superlattice. ΔEv at the GaAs/InAs(1ML)/AlAs interface is calculated to be 0.50 eV, which is practically equal to ΔEv = 0.51 eV at the GaAs/AlAs interface with no InAs layers. The insertion of the InAs monolayer changes the detail of valence charge density at the GaAs/AlAs interface but does not change ΔE_v. The result of calculation is in consistent with our experimental measurement by using the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.     

Localized optical phonons in GaAs/AlAs superlattices grown on (311)A and (311)B surfaces

A study is reported of optical vibrational modes in [311]-grown GaAs/AlAs superlattices. An analysis of the TO and LO localized modes observed in IR reflectance spectra showed that the difference between the TO and LO mode frequencies in superlattices grown on (311)A and (311)B surfaces is due to the different localization lengths of these modes. The dispersion of transverse optical phonons in GaAs derived from IR reflectance spectra is in a good agreement with Raman scattering data. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 550–552 (March 1998)     

A “superlattice” model for a smooth GaAs/AlAs (001) heterointerface

The effect of a smooth interface potential on the electronic states in GaAs/AlAs (001) structures is investigated using the pseudopotential method. In this approach, the transition region between GaAs and AlAs is assumed to be a layer corresponding to a half-period of the (AlAs)₂(GaAs)₂ superlattice, with the potential of this layer being close to the real potential near the heterointerface. In this case, the intervalley mixing occurs at two boundaries and in the transition layer rather than at one boundary, as in the model with a sharply cut-off potential. It is shown that a smooth potential has an appreciable effect on electron tunneling in structures with thin layers. This effect is especially important in the case where short-wavelength X states are involved. For one GaAs/AlAs (001) boundary, the transition layer acts as a quantum well localizing the charge density of a mixed Γ-X state near the boundary. In structures with a layer thickness of less than 2 nm, the differences in the resonance energies obtained in the models with a smooth heterointerface and with a sharp heterointerface can be as high as ～0.1 eV. The envelopes of the wave functions associated with Γ ₁ ⁽¹⁾ , Γ ₁ ⁽²⁾ , and Γ ₃ ⁽¹⁾ superlattice valleys and with Γ₁, X ₁, and X ₃ valleys of GaAs and AlAs are analyzed. It is shown that the matching matrices for the envelope functions at the GaAs/(AlAs)₂(GaAs)₂ and (AlAs)₂(GaAs)₂/AlAs boundaries depend only weakly on the electron energy near the bottom of the conduction band and that the probability densities calculated using these functions agree with the results of many-band calculations. Therefore, these functions can be used to construct a model with a smooth interface potential in the framework of the effective-mass method.     

Below-bandgap refractive index of AlAs/GaAs multiple quantum wells

Precision reflection measurements were performed on GaAs/AlAs superlattices of the same composition but different layer spacings. Nonlinear-least-squares fits to the data were performed to a single layer. Measurements were extracted for the superlattice thickness, thickness of a disturbed interface layer between the superlattice and substrate, the uniformity in composition and/or spacing and the composition. It was demonstrated that these nondestructive measurements in the infrared region (3000 to 12 000 cm^–1) in conjunction with a simple single layer model are capable of accurately yielding the above quantities with high precision.     

Photocurrent resonances in short-period AlAs/GaAs superlattices in an electric field

The photocurrent was measured as a function of the external electric field in short-period AlAs/GaAs superlattices for various photon energies. Transport resonances, whose positions do not depend on the photon energy, were observed in these dependences together with optical resonances due to interband transitions in Wannier-Stark levels. It is shown that the transport resonances are due to tunneling of photoelectrons from the p-GaAs contact region into the first level in GaAs wells located 2–5 lattice periods from the contact layer. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 159–164 (January 1999)     

Impurity cyclotron resonance in InGaAs/AlAs superlattice under ultra high magnetic fields

We have carried out cyclotron resonance (CR) measurements of (InGaAs)₈/(AlAs)₈ superlattice (SL) to investigate electronic properties of the SL under pulsed ultra-high magnetic fields. The magnetic fields up to 160 T were generated by using the single-turn-coil technique. Clear CR signals were obtained in the transmission of far-infrared laser through the SL at room temperature and lower temperature. We observed a shift of CR peak to lower magnetic field caused by transition from free-electron CR to impurity CR below 90 K. Compared with the previous works of GaAs/AlAs SL, the peak shift was small and the transition temperature was low. This result suggests that a binding energy of the impurity in the InGaAs/AlAs SL is smaller than the GaAs/AlAs SL.     

Optical phonons in nanosize GaAs and AlAs clusters in an InAs matrix

A Raman scattering method is used to investigate structures containing nanosize GaAs and AlAs clusters, which were grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on InAs substrates by the mechanism of self-organized growth under mechanical stress. A large shift of the phonon lines of GaAs and AlAs clusters with respect to the phonon frequencies in the bulk materials (36 and 24 cm⁻¹ for GaAs LO and TO phonons and 55 and 28 cm⁻¹ for AlAs LO and TO phonons, respectively) is observed in the spectra. This fact is explained by the presence of strong mechanical stresses in the GaAs and AlAs clusters. A comparison of the experimental data with the computed strain dependences of the phonon frequencies shows that the GaAs and AlAs clusters are pseudomorphic, i.e., they do not contain dislocations, which lead to relaxation of the mechanical stresses. In the interval between the InAs TO and LO phonon frequencies, the Raman scattering spectra contain features associated with interfacial phonons. The position of these features also attests to the formation of three-dimensional GaAs and AlAs islands and are described well by a continuum dielectric model. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 70, No. 7, 463–467 (10 October 1999)     

Exciton oscillator strength in GaAs/AlAs superlattices near type I-type II transition

We present resonance reflectivity measurements performed on graded GaAs/AlAs superlattices in the transitional region from type I to type II. A theory of exciton states and exciton oscillator strength is developed making allowance for the mixing of Γ₁, X₁ and X₃ electron states in the superlattice. Experimental and theoretical results are compared taking into account effects of superlattice imperfections.     

Structural and optical properties of high-density (>10/cm) InAs QDs with varying Al(Ga)As matrix layer thickness

We have obtained high-density (>10¹¹/cm²) InAs quantum dot (QD) structures by using an Al(Ga)As matrix layer. With increase of the AlAs matrix layer thickness, the density of QDs increases a little and the luminescence intensity emitted from InAs QDs decreases. We have used a thin GaAs insertion layer (IL) for the reason of keeping InAs QDs from an aluminum intermixing towards QDs. As the thickness of GaAs IL increases, the density of QDs decreases slightly due to the reduction of the roughness of an AlAs matrix layer. However, the luminescence intensity increases with increase in the thickness of GaAs IL resulting from the efficient blocking of an aluminum intermixing towards QDs.     

Impurity cyclotron resonance in InGaAs/GaAs superlattice and InGaAs/AlAs superlattice grown on GaAs substrates

Various temperature measurements of cyclotron resonance (CR) under pulsed ultra-high magnetic field up to 160 T were carried out in InGaAs/GaAs superlattice (SL) and InGaAs/AlAs SL samples grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs substrates. Clear free-electron CR and impurity CR signals were observed in transmission of CO₂ laser with wavelength of 10.6 μm. A binding energy of impurities in these SLs was roughly estimated based on the experiment as result, and we found it was smaller than the previous experimental result of GaAs/AlAs SLs and theoretical calculation with a simple model.     

GaAs pyramids on GaAs/AlAs Bragg reflectors as alternative microcavities

Pyramidal microcavities are a new class of optical resonators with potentially small mode volume and high quality factor. Our GaAs pyramids with embedded InGaAs quantum dots are placed on top of GaAs/AlAs distributed Bragg reflectors to increase the optical confinement at the base of the pyramids. The pyramidal shape is achieved by a wet-chemical etching process using an AlAs sacrificial layer. Temperature-dependent micro-photoluminescence measurements are used to verify optical modes.     

Al/GaAs界面反应的XPS研究

用XPS研究了清洁无序GaAs表面沉积超薄Al膜后的界面反应,结果表明,原沉积于GaAs表面的Al能进入GaAs衬底取代Ga形成AlAs,而通过Al-Ga替位反应释放出来的Ga则残留在衬底表面,提出了Ga/AlAs+GaAs/GaAs三层结构模型。 关键词：     

Raman study of confined TO phonons in GaAs/AlAs superlattices grown on GaAs (311)A and B surfaces

The use of Raman scattering in different polarization geometries makes it possible to observe the splitting of transverse optical (TO) phonon modes confined in GaAs/AlAs superlattices grown on faceted GaAs (311)A surfaces. The frequencies of TO modes with atomic displacements in the direction along the facets were observed to be higher than in the transverse one. Increased splitting, up to 3.5 cm ^− 1, was observed for (311)A superlattices when the average thickness of the GaAs layers was 6 monolayers or less. The splitting was absent in superlattices grown on (311)B surfaces under the same conditions. The effect of splitting is reputed to be caused by corrugation of GaAs/AlAs (311)A interfaces and formation of lateral superlattices or arrays of quantum wires, depending on the GaAs layer thickness.     

Splitting of transverse optical phonon modes localized in GaAs quantum wires on a faceted (311)A surface

The energy splitting of fundamental localized transverse optical (TO1) phonon modes in GaAs/AlAs superlattices and quantum wires grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on a faceted (311)A GaAs surface is observed by Raman spectroscopy. The form of the Raman scattering tensor makes it possible to observe the TO_x and TO_y modes separately, using different scattering geometries the y and x axes are the directions of displacement of the atoms and are directed parallel and transverse to the facets on the (311)A surface). Enhancement of the splitting of the TO1_x and TO1_y modes is observed as the average thickness of the GaAs layers is decreased from 21 to 8.5 Å. The splitting is probably due to the effect of the corrugation of the GaAs/AlAs (311)A hetero-interface on the properties of localized phonon modes. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 66, No. 1, 45–48 (10 July 1997)     

Optical phonons in quantum-wire structures

The optical vibrational modes in GaAs/AlAs structures grown on a (311)A-oriented GaAs surface are investigated. It is found that the line corresponding to the fundamental TO vibrational mode localized in a GaAs quantum wire is split into two lines with different directions of the polarization vector. The dispersion of the TO phonons of GaAs in the (311) direction is determined from the IR spectra of periodic structures. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 2, 107–110 (25 January 1998)     

Excited states of donors bound toXvalleys in GaAs–AlAs type II structures

We calculate the binding energies of 2s donor states bound tovalleys in type II GaAs–AlAs quantum well structures using an anisotropic variational method which enables us to take into account the effective mass anisotropy and quantum confinement. For a comparative study, we use two sets of effective masses obtained from different measurements [B. Rheinländeret al., Phys. Stat. Sol. (b)49, K167 (1972) and M. Goiranet al., Physica B177, 465 (1992)].     

Raman scattering from confined LO phonons and dispersion relation in GaAs/AlAs superlattices

The Raman scattering from both GaAs and AlAs confined LO phonons for several GaAs/AlAs superlattices is presented. The GaAs confined LO phonons were observed for two narrow GaAs layer samples at room temperature. The frequencies of observed phonons fit fairly well with the theoretical dispersion curves.