Electronic properties of zinc-blende GaN, AlN, and their alloys Ga1-xAlxN

The electronic properties of wide-energy gap zinc-blende structure GaN, A1N, and their alloys Ga(1-x)A1(x)N are investigated using the empirical pseudopotential method. Electron and hole effective mass parameters, hydrostatic and shear deformation potential constants of the valence band at Gamma and those of the conduction band at Gamma and X are obtained for GaN and AIN, respectively. The energies of Gamma, X, L conduction valleys of Ga(1-x)A1(x)N alloy versus Al fraction x are also calculated. The information will be useful for the design of lattice mismatched heterostructure optoelectronic devices based on these materials in the blue light range application. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.

Band structure parameters of zinc-blende GaN, AlN and their alloys Ga1-xAlxN

The electronic properties of wide energy gap zinc-blende structure GaN, AlN and their alloys Ga1-xAlxN are investigated using the empirical pseudopotential method. Electron and hole Effective mass parameters, hydrostatic and shear deformation potential constants of the valence band at Gamma and those of the conduction band at Gamma and X are obtained. The energies of Gamma, X, L conduction valleys of Ga1-xAlxN alloy versus Al fraction x are also calculated. The information will be useful for the design of lattice mismatched heterostructure optoelectronic devices in the blue light range.

PASSIVATION OF THE INP(100) SURFACE USING (NH4)(2)S-X

InP(100) surface treated with (NH4)(2)S-x has been investigated by using photoluminescence(PL), Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is found that PL intensity increased by a factor of 3.3 after (NH4)(2)S-x passivation and the sulfur remained on the surface only bonded to indium, not to phosphorus. This suggests that the sulfur atoms replace the phosphorus atoms on the surface and occupy the phosphorus vacancies.

PHOTOEMISSION-STUDIES OF K-PROMOTED NITRIDATION AND OXIDATION OF THE INP(100) SURFACE USING SYNCHROTRON-RADIATION

The effect of a potassium overlayer on nitridation and oxidation of the InP(100) surface is investigated by core-level and valence-band photoemission spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation. In comparison with the K-promoted nitridation of the InP(110) surface obtained by cleavage in situ, we found that the promotive effect for the InP(100) surface cleaned by ions bombardment is much stronger and that the nitridation products consist of two kinds of complexes: InPNx and InPNx+y. The results confirmed that surface defects play an important part in the promotive effect. Furthermore, in contrast with K-promoted oxidation of InP(100) where bonding is observed between indium and oxygen, indium atoms did not react directly with nitrogen atoms during the K-promoted nitridation of InP(100). (C) 1995 American Vacuum Society.

ENHANCEMENT EFFECT OF PLASMA-ENHANCED CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITED SIN CAPPING LAYER ON DIELECTRIC CAP QUANTUM-WELL DISORDERING

Quantum well disordering of GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well(MQW) has been accomplished with only plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited (PECVD) SiN cap layer growth. The amount of blue shift increases with SiN growing time. This result has been explained by the vacancy indiffusion during PECVD SiN growth. Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) of the sample after SiN cap layer growth at 850 degrees C for 35 s caused a larger amount of blue shift than those obtained without RTA. By considering the model of Al diffusion from AlGaAs barrier into GaAs QWs together with the result from photoluminescence (PL) measurement, Al diffusion coefficients were calculated. The Al diffusion coefficient due to PECVD SiN was estimated at about 3 x10(-17) cm(2)/s. It was possible to extract the effect of RTA on the QW disordering, which showed that the amount of the blue shift and the Al diffusion coefficient due only to RTA increases with SiN cap layer thickness as reported by Chi et al.(10))

OPTICAL AND STRUCTURAL-PROPERTIES OF AP-MOVPE GAINP/GAAS HETEROSTRUCTURES

Lattice matched GaInP/GaAs heterostructures were grown by atmospheric pressure-metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (AP-MOVPE). Compositional intermixing of As/P and Ga/In near the heterointerfaces was studied by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Indium segregation, memory effect of In into GaAs and the carry-over of As in the GaInP layer during the growth process were considered as three major factors giving rise to the anomalous emissions in the PL spectra. Both thermal annealing and zinc doping strongly enhanced the compositional interdiffusion near the heterointerfaces.

PHOTOEMISSION-STUDIES OF K-PROMOTED NITRIDATION OF INP(100) SURFACE USING SYNCHROTRON-RADIATION

The effect of molecular nitrogen exposure on the surfaces of InP(100) modified by potassium overlayers is investigated by core-level and valence-band photoemission spectroscopy using Synchrotron radiation. In comparison with InP(110) surface, we found the promotion is much stronger for InP(100) surface due to the central role of surface defects in the promotion; furthermore, in contrast with K-promoted oxidation of InP(100) where the bonding is observed between indium and oxygen, indium atoms did not react directly with nitrogen atoms during the K-promoted nitridation of InP(100).

METAL-ORGANIC CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION GROWTH OF GAN

Single-crystal GaN films have been deposited on (01 (1) over bar 2) sapphire substrates using trimethylgallium (TMGa) and NH3 as sources. The morphological, crystalline, electrical and optical characterizations of GaN film are investigated. The carrier concentration ofundoped GaN increases with decreasing input NH3-to-TMGa molar flow ratio.

Dislocation Reduction in GaN on Sapphire by Epitaxial Lateral Overgrowth

High quality GaN is grown on GaN substrate with stripe pattern by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition by means of epitaxial lateral overgrowth. AFM,wet chemical etching, and TEM experiments show that with a two-step ELOG procedure, the propagation of defects under the mask is blocked, and the coherently grown GaN above the window also experiences a drastic reduction in defect density. In addition, a grain boundary is formed at the coalescence boundary of neighboring growth fronts. The extremely low density of threading dislocations within wing regions makes ELOG GaN a potential template for the fabrication of nitride-based lasers with improved performance.

Compressively Strained InGaAs/InGaAsP Quantum Well Distributed Feedback Laser at 1.74μm

The compressively strained InGaAs/InGaAsP quantum well distributed feedback laser with ridge-wave- guide is fabricated at 1.74μm. It is grown by low-pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition（MOCVD）. A strain buffer layer is used to avoid indium segregation. The threshold current of the device uncoated with length of 300μm is 11.5mA. The maximum output power is 14mW at 100mA. A side mode suppression ratio of 35.5dB is obtained.

Material Growth and Device Fabrication of GaAs Based 1.3μm GaInNAs Quantum Well Laser Diodes

Material growth and device fabrication of the first 1.3μm quantum well （QW） edge emitting laser diodes in China are reported. Through the optimization of the molecular beam epitaxy （MBE） growth conditions and the tuning of the indium and nitrogen composition of the GalnNAs QWs, the emission wavelengths of the QWs can be tuned to 1.3μm. Ridge geometry waveguide laser diodes are fabricated. The lasing wavelength is 1.3μm under continuous current injection at room temperature with threshold current of 1kA/cm^2 for the laser diode structures with the cleaved facet mirrors. The output light power over 30mW is obtained.

Metal-organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy Growth and Characterization of InAlGaN Epilayers

In order to improve crystal quality for growth of quaternary InAlGaN, a series of InAlGaN films were grown on GaN buffer layer under different growth temperatures and carrier gases by low-pressure metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) was employed to measure the chemical composition of the quaternary, high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and photoluminescence (PL) technique were used to characterize structural and optical properties of the epilayers, respectively. The PL spectra of InAlGaN show with and without the broad-deep level emission when only N2 and a N2+H2 mixture were used as carrier gas, respectively. At pressure of 1.01×104 Pa and with mixed gases of nitrogen and hydrogen as carrier gas, different alloy compositions of the films were obtained by changing the growth temperature while keeping the fluxes of precursors of indium (In), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga) and nitrogen (N2) constant. A combination of HRXRD and PL measurements enable us to explore the relative optimum growth parameters-growth temperature between 850℃ and 870℃,using mixed gas of N2+H2 as carrier gas.

Non-stoichiometry Related Deep Level Defects in Semi-insulating InP

Semi-insulating (SI) InP materials have been prepared under different stoichiometric conditions, including Fe-doping in indium-rich melt and high temperature annealing undoped wafer in phosphorus and iron phosphide ambients. Deep level defects related with non-stoichiometry have been detected in the SI-InP samples. A close relationship between the material quality of electrical property and native deep defects has been revealed by a comprehensive study of defects in as-grown Fe-doped and annealed undoped SI-InP materials. Fe-doped SI-InP material with low carrier mobility and poor thermal stability contains a high concentration of deep defects with energy levels in the range of 0.1-0.4eV. The suppression of the defects by high temperature annealing undoped InP leads to the manufacture of high quality SI-InP with high mobility and good electrical uniformity. A technology for the growth of high quality SI-InP through stoichiometry control has been proposed based on the results.

Optimization of InGaAs Quantum Dots for Optoelectronic Applications

Self-assembled In_0.35Ga_0.65As/GaAs quantum dots with low indium content are grown under different growth temperature and investigated using contact atomic force microscopy(AFM). In order to obtain high density and high uniformityu of quantum dots, optimized conditions are concluded for MBE growth. Optimized growth condi-tions also compared with these of InAs/GaAs quantum dots. This will be very useful for InGaAs/GaAs QDs opto-electronic applications, such as quantum dots lasers and quantum dots infrared photodetectors.

Investigation of Residual Donor Defects in Undoped and Fe-Doped LEC InP

The free electron concentration of as-grown liquid encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) InP measured by Hall effect is much higher than the concentration of net donor impurity determined by glow discharge mass spectroscopy. Evidence of the existence of a native donor hydrogen-indium vacancy complex in LEC undoped and Fe-doped InP materials can be observed with infrared absorption spectra. The concentration increase of the donor complex correlates with the increase of ionized deep acceptor iron impurity Fe~(2+) concentration in Fe-doped semi-insulating (SI) InP. These results indicate that the hydrogen-indium vacancy complex is an important donor defect in as-grown LEC InP, and that it has significant influence on the compensation in Fe-doped SI InP.