Luminescence characteristics of InAlP---InGaP heterostructures having native-oxide windows

Data are presented on the luminescence characteristics of InGaP/InAlP heterostructures with oxidized InAlP cladding layers grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The structures are grown on GaAs substrates and consist of either a 20 nm thick In_0.5Ga_0.5P quantum well or a 0.75 μm InGaP layer sandwiched between two InAlP bulk barriers or between two 10-period In_0.5Al_0.5P/In_xGa_1−xP strain-modulated superlattice heterobarriers, where x varies from 0.5 to 0.45 and the period of the superlattice is 3 nm. The top InAlP cladding layer of the InAlP/InGaP heterostructures is oxidized for 2–5.5 h at 500°C in an ambient of H₂O vapor saturated in a N₂ carrier gas. Photoluminescence and time-resolved photoluminescence studies at room temperature show that, as a result of the oxidation of a portion of the top InAlP cladding layer, the photoluminescence emission intensity and lifetime from the InGaP QWs increase significantly.     

Polarisation‐independent liquid crystal devices

Liquid crystal (LC) devices can be used as amplitude modulators and phase modulators. Most LC devices are polarisation‐dependent and require at least one polariser. As a result, the optical efficiency is greatly reduced. In this paper, we review some of our recently developed polarisation‐independent LC devices. For amplitude modulation, we report two polariser‐free devices which combine light scattering with dye absorption: dye‐doped polymer‐dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) and dye‐doped LC gels. For phase modulation, we also present two examples: residual phase type, e.g., voltage‐biased PDLC, Polymer‐Stabilised Cholesteric Texture (PSCT), and homeotropic LC gels; and double‐layered structure, such as thin polymer film‐separated orthogonal LC layers, and double‐layered LC gels. Potential applications of these polarisation‐independent LC devices for displays, laser beam steering and adaptive optics are emphasised.     

Structural and optical characterization of MOVPE grown InGaP/GaAs MQWs for advanced photovoltaic devices

The optimization of the electronic properties of InGaP/GaAs MQWs, to be inserted in multilayers heterostructure for novel photovoltaic devices, was performed by structural, optical and photoelectrical measurements. Different sequences of nominally undoped InGaP and GaAs alternated layers were grown by low-pressure metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy, employing tertiarybutylarsine and tertiarybutylphosphine as metalorganic precursors for the V-group elements. In order to minimize the As/P exchange effect, the interface In segregation, and to control the whole lattice matching, single and multi-quantum wells (MQWs) with different: (i) periods, (ii) well widths, (iii) growth temperatures, (iv) gas-switching sequences at the interfaces and (v) indium concentrations in the InGaP alloy, were prepared and investigated. The interface sharpness and the compositional fluctuation of thick MQW region containing up to 40 well-barrier sequences were investigated for the modelling, realization and evaluation of test structures based on low-dimensional systems for third generation solar cells.     

Large area lateral overgrowth of mismatched InGaP on GaAs(111)B substrates

Application of InGaAs/InGaP double‐heterostructure (DH) lasers increases the band offset between the cladding layer and the active layer more than the use of conventional 1.3 µm InGaAsP/InP lasers. As a first step in realizing 1.3 µm InGaP/InGaAs/InGaP DH lasers, we proposed InGaP lattice‐mismatched epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) technique and successfully carried out the InGaP growth on both GaAs (100), (111)B and InP (100) substrates by liquid phase epitaxy. In this work, we grew the InGaP crystal on GaAs (111)B substrate by adjusting Ga and P composition in In solution, to obtain In_0.79Ga_0.21P (λ = 820 nm) virtual substrate for 1.3 µm InGaAs/InGaP DH lasers. To grow the InGaP all over the lateral surface of the substrate, the growth time was extended to 6 hours. The amount of InGaP lateral growth up to 2 hours was gradually increased, but the lateral growth was saturated. The InGaP lateral width was about 250 µm at the growth time of 6 hours. We report the result that optical microscope observation, CL and X‐ray rocking curve measurements and reciprocal lattice space mapping were carried out to evaluate the crystal quality of the grown InGaP layers. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Precise structure control of GaAs/InGaP hetero-interfaces using metal organic vapor phase epitaxy and its abruptness analyzed by STEM

Fabrication of abrupt InGaP on GaAs (InGaP/GaAs) and GaAs on InGaP (GaAs/InGaP) hetero-interfaces has been difficult using metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) due to the exchange of P and As during the fabrication steps. Indium (In) surface segregation during InGaP growth also degrades the abruptness. Here, the MOVPE gas-switching sequence to fabricate atomically abrupt hetero-interfaces was optimized and the effects of this optimization on the hetero-interface abruptness were quantitatively evaluated using the Z-contrast method with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Results revealed that (a) in the fabrication of InGaP/GaAs hetero-interface, the GaAs top layer should be stabilized using As-source gas supply, and the excess As layer on GaAs should be terminated using an additional supply of Ga species, and (b) in the fabrication of GaAs/InGaP interface, the InGaP layer should be grown using the flow modulation method to suppress In surface segregation. In conclusion, the abruptness of hetero-interfaces of InGaP/GaAs and GaAs/InGaP was improved by using these optimized gas-switching sequences.     

Visible (683 to 713 nm) room-temperature AlGaAs vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs)

We compare the materials parameters for visible emitting, vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) and conclude that AlGaAs-based materials are a good choice. All-AlGaAs devices were produced by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE) growth using ultra-high purity source reagents. Lasing was obtained at wavelengths in the range of 683 to 713 nm using four 45 Å wide Al_0.18Ga_0.82 As quantum wells in the active region. A threshold current density of 3.8 kA cm⁻² was measured for a cavity wavelength of 692 nm at room temperature. Growth of the epitaxial mirrors at 5.2 μm/h results in a total device growth time of only two and a half hours.     

Gettering Properties of Praseodymium in InGaP LPE Growth

Praseodymium (Pr) is added to the InGaP growth melt during Liquid Phase Epitaxy (LEP) for the first time. The epilayers are grown by using a supercoling method, on (100) Cr-doped Semi-Insulating (SI) GaAs substrates at a growth temperature of 790°C. An examination of the electrical properties reveals that, depending on the amount of Pr in the growth melt, n-tpye InGaP epilayers with room temperature electron concentrations in the range of 3.4 × 10¹⁶ cm⁻³ to 5.3 × 10¹⁵ cm⁻³ and electron mobilities from 730 to 1310 cm²/Vs can be prepared. The photoluminescence spectral results show that by increasing the amount of Pr in the growth melt, smaller Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) values and better band edge (BE) recombination intensities result.     

Electron microscopy of epitaxial structures of pseudobinary A III B V solid solutions and the model of nonequilibrium ordering in epitaxial growth

The results of the electron microscopy studies of self-modulated GaAlAs, GaAsP, and InGaP layers have been generalized, and the laws governing the self-oscillatory growth of these materials have been formulated. The growth characteristics under the autocatalysis conditions were established from a computer simulation of the epitaxial process. It is demonstrated that the autocatalytic model of crystallization corresponds to the experimental characteristics of self-modulation. The anomalies in electron microscopy images of the boundaries were revealed, which can be interpreted only with the invocation of the autocatalytic model. The reliabilities of various theoretical self-modulation models are also discussed.     

Carbon background in P-based III-V semiconductors grown by metalorganic molecular beam epitaxy using ethyl-metalorganic sources

Electrical properties of InP, GaP, InGaP and AlGaP, grown by metalorganic molecular beam epitaxy (MOMBE) using ethyl-metalorganics (triethyl-indium, -gallium and -alluminum), are discussed in connection with the carbon background. More C atoms are incorporated into epilayers in the order of AlGaP, GaP and InP. The C atoms act as accepters in AlGaP and GaP epilayers, but they probably work as donors in InP. InGaP showed highly resistive or compensated possibly due to the amphoteric nature of C atoms.     

Angular stability of electric field‐induced effects in crystalline materials

We analyze angular bandwidths of extrema of the indicative surfaces describing spatial anisotropy of piezoelectric (PE) and electrooptic (EO) properties of doped lithium niobate (LiNbO₃:MgO) and langasite (La₃Ga₅SiO₁₄) crystals. A number of highly efficient experimental geometries are suggested, which are promising for PE and EO devices. Our data obtained with both analytical and numerical techniques characterize angular stability of those devices and, in particular, their angular aperture. We show that, besides of a maximal size of the electric field‐induced effects, ‘nondirect crystal cuts’ offer considerably higher angular stability of their characteristics, when compared with that typical for ‘direct crystal cuts’ usually employed in PE and EO devices.     

固态源分子束外延法生长InGaP/GaAs异质结构的热力学分析

本文建立了采用分子束外延法制备InGaP/GaAs异质结构的热力学模型,其中考虑了两个重要的因素,由晶格失配引起的内在应力和InP的脱附.所得到的模型与现有实验结果匹配较好.该模型的实验结果表明在InGaP的生长过程中,生长温度,In/Ga束流比及合金组分之间的相互关系,同时也与实验数据相吻合.该模型对于其他气相沉积生长方式也具有一定的适用性.     

用于四结电池的InGaAsN材料研究

随着InGaP2/InGaAs/Ge三结太阳电池技术日趋成熟,具有更高理论效率的基于GaAs体系的四结电池新材料AlInGaP/InGaAs/?(新材料)/Ge已经受到人们的关注,经过计算,要求新材料的禁带宽度应该为0.95eV～1.05eV.InxGa1-xAs1-xNy材料的禁带宽度可以调整为0.95eV～1.05eV,是有望实现突破的材料.我们通过选取合适的生长方案,在D180MOCVD系统上外延生长了InxGa1-xAs1-yNy材料,并通过高分辨X光双晶衍射仪、分光光度计以及电化学电容-电压(EC-V)测试仪等对材料性能进行了分析.获得了室温下禁带宽度为1.17eV的InxGa1-xAs1-xNy材料.     

Metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy of GaN and GaInN/GaN heterostructures and quantum wells

This paper reviews the growth and some characteristics of group III-nitrides by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy with a particular focus on GaInN layers and heterostructures. We discuss the problems encountered with the low In incorporation efficiency. This can be partly compensated by larger growth rates and higher nitrogen-hydrogen ratios in the carrier gas. However, the grown layers with larger In content show evidence of composition fluctuations and even surface roughening due to problems probably arising from the large lattice mismatch to GaN and from the miscibility gap predicted for essentially the whole composition range. This influences strongly the spectroscopic properties. Consequences on the functionality of optoelectronic devices are also shortly discussed.     

InP/InGaAlAs distributed Bragg reflectors grown by low-pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition

Long-wavelength vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) are considered the best candidate for the future low-cost reliable light sources in fiber communications. However, the absence of high refractive index contrast in InP-lattice-matched materials impeded the development of 1.3–1.5 μm VCSELs. Although wafer fusions provided the alternative approaches to integrate the InP-based gain materials with the GaAs/AlAs materials for their inherent high refractive index contrast, the monolithic InP-based lattice-matched distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) are still highly attractive and desirable. In this report, we demonstrate InP/InGaAlAs DBRs with larger refractive index contrast than InP/InGaAsP and InAlAs/InGaAlAs DBRs. The switching between InP and InGaAlAs layers and growth rate control have been done by careful growth interruption technique and accurate in situ optical monitoring in low-pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition. A 35 pairs 1.55 μm centered InP/InGaAlAs DBRs has the stopband of more than 100 nm and the highest reflectivity of more than 99%. A VCSEL structure incorporating 35 pairs InP/InGaAlAs DBR as the bottom mirror combined with a 2λ thick periodic gain cavity and 10 pairs SiO₂/TiO₂ top dielectric mirrors was fabricated. The VCSELs lased at 1.56 μm by optical pumping at room temperature with the threshold pumping power of 30 mW.     

阳极修饰层ZnPc对OLED性能影响的研究

本文采用真空蒸镀法制备了不同厚度的酞菁锌(ZnPc)超薄膜,研究了不同厚度的ZnPc缓冲层对OLEDs器件发光性能的影响,测试了器件的一系列光电性能,对相关机理进行了探讨.结果表明:含有ZnPc修饰层的器件性能明显优于不含有修饰层的器件,加入ZnPc修饰层后器件发光稳定性也得到了改善,同时不同厚度的修饰层对器件性能的影响也有所不同.分析认为,ZnPc能有效改善ITO表面的平整度和降低空穴注入势垒的性质是提高器件性能的主要原因.     

Microampere laser threshold at 80°C with InGaAs/GaAs/InGaP buried heterostructre strained quantum well lasers

An extremely low CW threshold current of 670 μA and a high slope efficiency of 0.14 W/A at a high junction temperature of 80°C were obtained with a 200 μm long Al-free InGaAs/GaAs/InGaP buried heterostructure (BH) quantum well laser grown by three-step metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE). The maximum energy conversion efficiency of a 500 μm long laser was as high as 50% at a output power level of 1 mW. Regrowth conditions of InGaP layers were found to be crucial for planarizing the grown surface to realize the high performances.     

Magnetic Resonance Studies of Spin Dynamics in Trans-Polyacetylene

We present a study of the temperatue dependce of the spin dynamics in trans-polyacetylene using dynamic nuclear polarisation, nuclear relaxation and EPR measrements.     

Ionic Interface-effects in Electro-optical LC-cells

The work discusses ionic electrode processes in LC-cells driven by voltage. Ions in LC-material are generated by dissociation of residual impurities or (dye) additives, but by ageing of LC-material as well. Therefore even in carefully purified electro-optical cells temporal decomposition of the base material causes slow, but permanent increase of ion concentration. It is apparently manifesting in non-linear electrical response of LC-cell in the case of quick switching by pulse driving. Every change of voltage on cell electrodes induces re-charging process and causes flow of the space-charge limited current across LC-layer. Existence of the ions influences electro-optical performance of LC-cell. The ionic flow changes field distribution in LC-layer and can temporary distort molecular ordering. Ionic processes may superimpose an undesired intrusion on optical switching response of LC-cell and may result either in faster or in slower switching, depending on driving source parameters. In this paper we propose a simple model of ionic processes to explain the mechanism of non-linear ionic polarisation. Observed voltage - polarisation characteristics, space-charge current flow and an anomalous electro-optical behaviour of LC-cell can be explained by the model assumed. Concentration of the considered ions, their mobility, and activation energy is also evaluated.     

Dislocations and grain boundaries in semiconducting rubrene single-crystals

Assessing the fundamental limits of the charge carrier mobilities in organic semiconductors is important for the development of organic electronics. Although devices such as organic field effect transistors (OFETs), organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) and organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) are already used in commercial applications, a complete understanding of the ultimate limitations of performance and stability in these devices is still lacking at this time. Crucial to the determination of electronic properties in organic semiconductors is the ability to grow ultra-pure, fully ordered molecular crystals for measurements of intrinsic charge transport. Likewise, sensitive tools are needed to evaluate crystalline quality. We present a high-resolution X-ray diffraction and X-ray topography analysis of single-crystals of rubrene that are of the quality being reported to show mobilities as high as amorphous silicon. We show that dislocations and grain boundaries, which may limit charge transfer, are prominent in these crystals.     

InGaAsP/InGaP superlattices by conventional MBE with molten metal solution phosphorus source

A phosphorus beam source utilizing thermal decomposition of InP is employed in a molecular beam epitaxy system. Quaternary InGaAsP films with reproducible P and As contents in the group V sublattice, and high-quality InGaAsP/InGaP superlattices with 10 and more periods were grown on (0 0 1) GaAs substrates.