The emission wavelength tuning of InAs/InP quantum dots with thin GaAs, InGaAs, InP capping layers by MOCVD

InAs quantum dots (QDs) were grown on InP substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The width and height of the dots were 50 and 5.8 nm, respectively on the average and an areal density of 3.0×10¹⁰ cm⁻² was observed by atomic force microscopy before the capping process. The influences of GaAs, In_0.53Ga_0.47As, and InP capping layers (5–10 ML thickness) on the InAs/InP QDs were studied. Insertion of a thin GaAs capping layer on the QDs led to a blue shift of up to 146 meV of the photoluminescence (PL) peak and an InGaAs capping layer on the QDs led to a red shift of 64 meV relative to the case when a conventional InP capping layer was used. We were able to tune the emission wavelength of the InAs QDs from 1.43 to 1.89 μm by using the GaAs and InGaAs capping layers. In addition, the full-width at half-maximum of the PL peak decreased from 79 to 26 meV by inserting a 7.5 ML GaAs layer. It is believed that this technique is useful in tailoring the optical properties of the InAs QDs at mid-infrared regime.     

Impurity effect on the creation of point-defects in GaAs and InP investigated by a slow positron beam

The impurity effect on the creation of point-defects in 60-keV Be⁺-ion implanted GaAs and InP has been studied by a slow positron beam. Vacancy-type defects introduced by ion implantation were observed in n-type GaAs. For p-type GaAs, however, this was not the case. This can be attributed to the recombination of vacancy-type defects with pre-existing interstitial defects in p-type GaAs. In the case of InP, the vacancy-type defects were created by ion implantation and increased with the implantation dose. However, no significant doping effect was observed in InP.     

Sputtering of compound semiconductor surfaces. II. Compositional changes and radiation-induced topography and damage

Ion bombardment often leads to compositional changes in the surface layers of multicomponent targets. Such changes due to noble gas ion sputtering are discussed for InP and GaAs. The analyses show that the compositional change in InP (i.e., indium enrichment) is mainly due to preferential sputtering. In the case of GaAs. the changes are due to radiation-induced diffusion and segregation effects. Brief mention is made of compositional changes in a few other systems. The discussion on sputter-induced topography development deals mainly with InP because ion bombardment leads to dramatic topographical effects in this material. Ripple development on GaAs is also briefly discussed. Radiation damage has been well researched, and its mechanism and effects usually differ substantially when going from one semiconductor group to another. Bombardment-induced damage is briefly discussed for InP, GaAs, SiC, some II-VI semiconductors, and HgCdTe.     

High frequency characterisation of double drift region InP and GaAs diodes

Computer studies have been made on the high frequency characteristics of symmetrically doped flat profile double drift region (DDR) InP and GaAs impatts in the mm-wave (60–100 GHz) frequency band. The spatial distribution of high frequency negative resistance and reactance in the depletion layer of DDR devices and their admittance properties have been investigated. The results indicate that DDR InP impatts should have higher drift zone voltage drop, higher negative resistance and higher negative conductance compared to their GaAs counterparts designed for the same range of mm-wave frequencies. Furthermore, the negative resistance peak is larger in magnitude for InP impatts compared to that for GaAs impatts. It is thus observed that DDR InP impatts should be superior to their GaAs counterparts as regards mm-wave power generation with high conversion efficiency.     

Critical layer thickness of GaIn(N)As(Sb) QWs on GaAs and InP substrates for (001) and (111) orientations

The aim of this work is to examine the effect of dilute nitride and/or antimonite on the critical layer thickness of GaInAs quantum wells on GaAs and InP substrates by means of Matthews and Blakeslee force model. The study provides a comparison of the critical layer thickness of the related GaIn(N)As(Sb) QWs in (001) and (111) orientation. Our calculations indicate the importance of antimonite and the proper usage of it with dilute nitrides in order to tailor the active layer thickness and emission wavelength of quantum well laser devices.     

GaAs/InP异质外延材料的光致发光研究

首次对MOCVD-LPE混合外延生长的GaAs/InP材料进行了光致发光测量及分析。结果显示出混合生长的GaAs发光强度明显高于MOCVD一次外延生长的GaAs的发光强度,并确认在16K温度下GaAs和InP有跃迁激子产生。观测到GaAs/InP样品近带边光致发光谱的半峰宽为8.4meV,显示了这种材料的高质量。     

Studies on the prospects of GaInAs and GaInAsP for double-drift region heterostructure IMPATTs

Double heterojunctions having the material combinations InP/GaInAs/InP, GaAs/GaInAs/GaAs and InP/GaInAsP/InP have been studied to assess their potential for double-drift region (DDR) IMPATT diodes. An accurate and realistic computer simulation program has been framed and used for the dc and high-frequency analysis of the DDRs. The analysis is carried out both in IMPATT (IMPact Avalanche Transit Time) and MITATT (MIxed Tunnelling Avalanche Transit Time) modes. Our results indicate that the GaAs/GaInAs/GaAs DDR would provide the best mm-wave performance up to sufficiently high frequencies. Further, the performance of the DDR diodes is observed to deteriorate at high frequency of operation due to phase distortion introduced by tunnel injected current, which is found to be the least in the case of GaAs/GaInAs/GaAs DDR leading to the best performance of this DDR amongst the three.     

Analysis of room temperature PL spectra of InAs/GaAs/InP and InAs/InP self-assembled QDs: A five-band study

In this paper, room temperature PL spectra of InAs self-assembled dots grown on GaAs/InP and InP substrate are presented. For analyzing different positions of the PL peaks, we examine the strain tensor in these quantum dots (QDs) using a valence force field model, and use a five-band k·p formalism to find the electronic spectra. We find that the GaAs tensile-stained layer affects the position of room temperature PL peak. The redshift of PL peak of InAs/GaAs/InP QDs compared to that of InAs/InP QDs is explained theoretically.     

Low energy Ar ion bombardment damage of Si,GaAs, and InP surfaces

Argon bombardment damage to (100) surfaces of Si, GaAs, and InP for sputter ion-gun potentials of 1, 2, and 3 kilovolts was studied using Rutherford backscattering. Initial damage rates and saturation damage levels were determined. Bombardment damage sensitivity increased for the sequence Si, GaAs, and InP. Saturation damage levels for Si and GaAs correspond reasonably to LSS projected range plus standard deviation estimates; damage to InP exceeded this level significantly. For an ion-gun potential of 3 keV, the initial sputter yield of P from an InP surface exceeded the sputter yield of In by four atoms per incident Ar projectile.     

Plasma-hydrogenated microwave and optoelectronic devices

Hydrogen passivation of impurities, both donors and acceptors in GaAs and in InP based materials reduces free carriers concentration and produces layers with resistivity which can be adjusted to a desired value. Such phenomena can be used in the technological process of realisation of various devices and in this paper, applications to the fabrication of GaAs and InP based optoelectronic lasers on the one hand and of GaAs field effect transistors on the other will be presented. In both cases, the technological process which has been used and the performance which has been obtained will be described.     

Thermal expansion coefficient of GaAs and InP

The temperature dependence of the thermal expansion for GaAs and InP is investigated theoretically using the experimental pressure derivatives of elastic stiffness constants and phonon frequencies. The linear correlation between the transverse acoustical mode Grüneisen parameter γ^X_TA and the metallic transion pressure P_t obtained by Weinstein is not satisfied for GaAs and InP, but the observed thermal expansion of GaAs is well reproduced. In addition, the linear expansion coefficient of InP is predicted theoretically as a function of temperature. Then, the phonon dispersion curves of GaAs and InP at their covalent-metallic transition pressures are quantitatively shown.     

GaAs-InP异质材料的结构特性和光学特性研究

我们在低压金属有机汽相沉积(MOCVD)设备上采用两步升温法与金属有机源流量周期调制生长界面过渡层方法制备出GaAs-InP材料,并对此进行了X-射线衍射、低温光致发光谱(PL)和Raman谱分析,结果表明,GaAs外延层的位错密度低于用两步升温法得到的GaAs材料,PL谱峰较强,GaAs的特征激子峰和杂质相关的激子峰同时被测到。Raman谱PL谱的峰移表明GaAs外延层处于(100)双轴伸张应力下,应力大小随温度变化是由于GaAs、InP之间的热膨胀系数不同。     

Small-signal modulation characteristics for 1.5 μm lattice-matched InGaNAs/GaAs and InGaAs/InP quantum well lasers

The small-signal modulation characteristics of 1.5 m lattice-matched InGaNAs/GaAs and InGaAs/InP quantum well lasers and their temperature dependence have been calculated. It is found that the maximum bandwidth of the InGaNAs/GaAs quantum well lasers is about 2.3 times larger than that of the InGaAs/InP quantum well lasers due to the high differential gain which results from the large electron effective mass in the dilute nitride system. The slope efficiency for the 3 dB bandwidth as a function of optical density is twice as large for InGaNAs/GaAs as for InGaAs/InP quantum well lasers.     

The effect of heating on InGaAs/InP(1 0 0) and InPO4/InP(1 0 0)

We have used Auger and electron energy loss spectroscopy to study the effect of temperature on InGaAs and InPO₄ grown on InP. The thickness of InPO₄ is of about 10 Å whereas that of InGaAs is of about 800 Å. InPO₄ is of great interest because it protects InP from loss of stoichiometry when heated to 450 °C. The InGaAs system heated at 450 °C seems to be unstable; metallic indium appears on the surface in conjunction with formation of GaAs.     

Critical diameters and temperature domains for MBE growth of III–V nanowires on lattice mismatched substrates

We report on the growth properties of InAs, InP and GaAs nanowires (NWs) on different lattice mismatched substrates, in particular, on Si(111), during Au‐assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We show that the critical diameter for the epitaxial growth of dislocation‐free III–V NWs decreases as the lattice mismatch increases and equals 24 nm for InAs NWs on Si(111), 39 nm for InP NWs on Si(111), 44 nm for InAs NWs on GaAs(111)B, and 110 nm for GaAs NWs on Si(111). When the diameters exceed these critical values, the NWs are dislocated or do not grow at all. The corresponding temperature domains for NW growth extend from 320 °C to 340 °C for InAs NWs on Si(111), 330 °C to 360 °C for InP NWs on Si(111), 370 °C to 420 °C for InAs NWs on GaAs(111)B and 380 °C to 540 °C for GaAs NWs on Si(111). Experimental values for critical diameters are compared to the previous findings and are discussed within the frame of a theoretical model. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Dissociation effects of H and H2 on clean III–V compounds

Excited hydrogen, whether atomic or ionised, chemisorbs to the clean surfaces of III–V compounds (GaAs, InP) up to the monolayer coverage range roughly. Beyond this initial chemisorption stage, the further interaction of excited hydrogen dissociates the substrate and leads to the formation of (i) the metal from the group III element, and (ii) one (or more) hydrogenated species of the group V element, which may remain adsorbed. The stability of the latter species as a function of temperature depends on the chemical nature of the substrate and its orientation. Experimental evidences of this dissociation are drawn from various techniques, and examples are given for H/GaAs(1 1 0), H/InP(1 1 0), H⁺₂/(GaAs(1 1 0) and H/InP(1 1 0). Properties of the systems specific of the dissociation stage are presented.     

The influence of confining wall profile on quantum interference effects in etched Ga0.25In0.75As/InP billiards

We present measurements of the potential profile of etched GaInAs/InP billiards and show that their energy gradients are an order of magnitude steeper than those of surface-gated GaAs/AlGaAs billiards. Previously observed in GaAs/AlGaAs billiards, fractal conductance fluctuations are predicted to be critically sensitive to the billiard profile. Here we show that, despite the increase in energy gradient, the fractal conductance fluctuations persist in the harder GaInAs/InP billiards.     

Secondary ion mass spectrometry of dopants and impurities in compound semiconductors: Depth profiling of homo- and heterostructure

SIMS has been very successfully applied to the analysis of semiconductor materials. This paper presents some important results concerning the problems of III-V compound epitaxial layers: (i) high-purity GaAs epitaxial layer characterisation, (ii) the study of Si δ-doped GaAs in a AlGaAs heterostructure, (iii) parasitic As contamination of InP buffer layer in optoelectronic materials, (iv) crystal perfection and the highest allowed Si and Fe doping level in InP. Chemical and crystal quality analyses are often carried out on the same sample for a better assessment of the electronic material.     

Continuous wavelength tuning of InAs quantum dots on InP (1 0 0) and (3 1 1)A substrates by chemical-beam epitaxy

The growth of InAs quantum dots (QDs) on InP (1 0 0) and (3 1 1)A substrates by chemical-beam epitaxy is studied. The InAs QDs are embedded in a GaInAsP layer lattice-matched to InP. We demonstrate an effective way to continuously tune the emission wavelength of InAs QDs grown on InP (1 0 0). With an ultra-thin GaAs layer inserted between the QD layer and the GaInAsP buffer, the peak wavelength from the InAs QDs can be continuously tuned from above 1.6 μm down to 1.5 μm at room temperature. The major role of the thin GaAs layer is to greatly suppress the As/P exchange during the deposition of InAs and subsequent growth interruption under arsenic flux, as well as to consume the segregated In layer floating on the GaInAsP buffer. Moreover, it is found that InP (3 1 1)A substrates are particularly promising for formation of uniform InAs QDs. The growth of InAs on InP (3 1 1)A consists of two stages: nanowire formation due to strain-driven growth instability and subsequent QD formation on top of the wires. The excellent size uniformity of the InAs QDs obtained on InP (3 1 1)A manifests itself in the narrow photoluminescence line width of 26 meV at 4.8 K.     

Schottky barrier formation in defect-free metal/III–V semiconductor junctions

The Schottky barrier heights for the perfect, abrupt, and defect-free interfaces between silver and two different semiconductors, GaAs and InP, are calculated self-consistently. The results compare favorably with data for GaAs/Ag and Inp/Ag interfaces.