Cathodoluminescence study on in composition inhomogeneity of thick InGaN layer

We have investigated the optical properties of thick InGaN film grown on GaN by cathodeluminescence (CL) spectroscopy. It is found that there is obvious In composition variation in both growth and lateral direction of InGaN film. The depth distribution of In composition is closely related to the strain relaxation process of InGaN film. Accompanied with the relaxation of compressive strain, the In composition of InGaN layer increases and the CL peak energy shifts towards red. Moreover, a rather apparent In composition fluctuation is found in the relaxed upper part of InGaN layer as confirmed by CL imaging.

Raman scattering characterization of Mn composition and strain in Ga1-xMnxSb/GaSb epitaxial layers

Raman scattering (RS) experiments have been performed for simultaneous determination of Mn composition and strain in Ga1-xMnxSb thin films grown on GaSb substrate by liquid phase epitaxy technique. The Raman spectra obtained from various Ga1-xMnxSb samples show only GaSb-like phonon modes whose frequency positions are found to have Mn compositional dependence. With the combination of epilayer strain model, RS and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) experiments, the compositional dependence of GaSb-like LO phonon frequency is proposed both in strained and unstrained conditions. The proposed relationships are used to evaluate Mn composition and strain from the Ga1-xMnxSb samples. The results obtained from the RS data are found to be in good agreement with those determined independently by the EDX analysis. Furthermore, the frequency positions of MnSb-like phonon modes are suggested by reduced-mass model. (C) 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Composition deviation of arrays of FePt nanoparticles starting from poly(styrene)-poly(4-vinylpyridine) micelles

Ordered arrays of FePt nanoparticles were prepared using a diblock polymer micellar method combined with plasma treatment. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy analyses reveal that the molar ratios of Fe to Pt in metal-salt-loaded micelles deviate from those when metal precursors are added, and that the plasma treatment processes have little influence upon the compositions of the resulting FePt nanoparticles. The results from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy show that the maximum loadings of FeCl3 and H2PtCl6 inside poly( styrene)-poly(4-vinylpyridine) micelles are different. The composition deviation of FePt nanoparticles is attributed to the fact that one FeCl3 molecule coordinates with a single 4-vinylpyridine (4VP) unit, while two neighboring and uncomplexed 4VP units are required for one H2PtCl6 molecule. Additionally, we demonstrate that the center-to-center distances of the neighboring FePt nanoparticles can also be tuned by varying the drawing velocity.

Al composition variations in AlGaN films grown on low-temperature GaN buffer layer by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

We have investigated the optical properties of AlGaN grown on sapphire. It is found that two main luminescence peaks occur in the cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra of AlGaN films, and their energy separation increases with the increase of Al source flux during the growth. Spatially resolved CL investigations have shown that the line splitting is a result of variation of AlN mole fraction within the layer. The Al composition varies in both lateral and vertical direction. It is suggested that the difference in the surface mobility of Al and Ga atoms, especially, its strong influence on the initial island coalescence process and the formation of island-like regions on the uneven film surface, is responsible for the Al composition inhomogeneity. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Growth of nano-structures on composition-modulated InAlAs surfaces

InAs self-organized nanostructures were grown with variant deposition thickness and growth rate on closely matched InAlAs/InP by molecular-beam epitaxy. The structural properties. of InAs and InAlAs layer were studied. It is found that the InAs morphology is insensitive to the growth conditions. Transmission electron microscopy and reflectance difference spectroscopy measurements show that the InAlAs matrix presents lateral composition modulation which gives birth to surface anisotropy. Based on the dependence of the InAs morphology on the anisotropy of the InAlAs layer, a modified Stranski-Krastanow growth mode is presented to describe the growth of the nanostructure on a composition-modulated surface.

Al compositional inhomogeneity of AlGaN epilayer with a high Al composition grown by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition

The A1 compositional distribution of A1GaN is investigated by cathodoluminescence (CL). Monochromatic CL images and CL spectra reveal a lateral A1 compositional inhomogeneity, which corresponds to surface hexagonal patterns. Cross-sectional CL images show a relatively uniform Al compositional distribution in the growth direction, indicating columnar growth mode of A1GaN films. In addition, a thin A1GaN layer with lower Al composition is grown on top of the buffer A1N layer near the bottom of the A1GaN epilayer because of the larger lateral mobility of Ga adatoms on the growth surface and their accumulation at the grain boundaries.

The effects of LT AlN buffer thickness on the optical properties of AlGaN grown by MOCVD and Al composition inhomogeneity analysis

We have investigated the growth of AlGaN epilayers on a sapphire substrate by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition using various low-temperature ( LT) AlN buffer thicknesses. Combined scanning electron microscopy and cathodoluminescence investigations reveal the correlation between the surface morphology and optical properties of AlGaN films in a microscopic scale. It is found that the suitable thickness of the LT AlN buffer for high quality AlGaN growth is around 20 nm. The Al compositional inhomogeneity of the AlGaN epilayer is attributed to the low lateral mobility of Al adatoms on the growing surface.

Effect of substrate misorientation on the InAs/InAlAs/InP nanostructure morphology and lateral composition modulation in the InAlAs matrix

The authors report the self-organized growth of InAs/InAlAs quantum wires on nominal (001) InP substrate and (001) InP substrates misoriented by 2 degrees, 4 degrees, and 8 degrees towards both [-110] and [110]. The influence of substrate misorientation on the structural and optical properties of these InAs/InAlAs quantum wires is studied by transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence measurements. Compared with that grown on nominal (001) InP substrate, the density of InAs/InAlAs quantum wires grown on misoriented InP(001) substrates is enhanced. A strong lateral composition modulation effect take place in the InAlAs buffer layers grown on misoriented InP substrates with large off-cut angles (4 degrees and 8 degrees), which induces a nucleation template for the first-period InAs quantum wires and greatly improve the size distribution of InAs quantum wires. InAs/InAlAs quantum wires grown on InP (001) substrate 8 degrees off cut towards [-110] show the best size homogeneity and photoluminescence intensity. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.

Effects of doping on the crystalline quality and composition distribution in InGaN/GaN structure grown by MOCVD

The effects of Si and Mg doping on the crystalline quality and In distribution in the InGaN films were studied by atomic force microscope (AFM), triple crystal X-ray diffraction (TCXRD) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). The undoped, Si-doped and Mg-doped InGaN films were grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on (0 0 0 1) sapphire substrates. The electronic concentration in the Si-doped InGaN is about 2 x 10(19) cm(-3). It is found that the crystalline quality and In distribution in InGaN is slightly affected by the Si doping. In the Mg doped-case, the hole concentration is about 4 x 10(18) cm(-3) after annealing treatment. The surface morphology and crystalline quality of the Mg-doped InGaN are deteriorated significantly compared with the undoped InGaN. The growth rate of Mg-doped InGaN is higher than the undoped InGaN. Mg doping enhances the In incorporation in the InGaN alloy. The increase in In composition in the growth direction is more severe than the undoped InGaN. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical composition and elastic strain in AlInGaN quaternary films

High-quality AlInGaN quaternary layers were grown on c-Al2O3 using a thick GaN template. A full width at half maximum of 0.075 degrees from AlInGaN(0004) rocking curve and a minimum yield of 5.6% from Rutherford backscattering/channelling spectrometry (RBS) prove the AlInGaN layer of a comparable crystalline quality with GaN layers. The chemical compositions (both of Al and In contents) of AlInGaN layers are directly obtained from RBS and elastic recoil detection analysis. The lattice parameters both in perpendicular and parallel directions are deduced from X-ray diffraction. The AlInGaN layer is found to process a compressive strain in parallel direction and a tensile strain in perpendicular direction. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effects of LT AlN buffer thickness on the properties of high Al composition AlGaN epilayers

To fabricate nitride-based ultraviolet optoelectronic devices, a deposition process for high-Al-composition AlGaN (Al content > 50%) films with reduced dislocation densities must be developed. This paper describes the growth of high-Al-composition AlGaN film on (0001) sapphire via a LT AIN nucleation layer by low pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (LPMOCVD). The influence of the low temperature AIN buffer layer thickness on the high-Al-content AlGaN epilayer is investigated by triple-axis X-ray diffraction (TAXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and optical transmittance. The results show that the buffer thickness is a key parameter that affects the quality of the AlGaN epilayer. An appropriate thickness results in the best structural properties and surface morphology. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison between double crystals X-ray diffraction micro-Raman measurement on composition determination of high Ge content Si1_xGex layer epitaxied on Si substrate

It is important to acquire the composition of Si1-xGex layer, especially that with high Ge content, epitaxied on Si substrate. Two nondestructive examination methods, double crystals X-ray diffraction (DCXRD) and micro-Raman measurement, were introduced comparatively to determine x value in Si1-xGex: layer, which show that while the two methods are consistent with each other when x is low, the results obtained from double crystals X-ray diffraction are not credible due to the large strain relaxation occurring in Si1-xGex layers when Ge content is higher than about 20%. Micro-Raman measurement is more appropriate for determining high Ge content than DCXRD.

Structural and optical properties of strain-compensated GaAsSb/GaAs quantum wells with high Sb composition

The structural and optical properties of GaAsSb/GaAs quantum wells (QWs) and strain-compensated GaAsP/GaAs/GaAsSb/GaAs/GaAsP QWs grown on a GaAs substrate by molecular beam epitaxy are investigated using high-resolution x-ray diffraction and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. We demonstrated that the insertion of tensile GaAsP layers into the active region of GaAsSb/GaAs QWs effectively improves the structural and optical quality. Even the Sb composition is as high as 0.39. The PL spectra at 11 K and room temperature indicate that the PL peak of strain-compensated QWs has a narrower linewidth and higher intensity in comparison to the sample without strain compensation. The results of PL peak blueshift with increasing excitation show the strain-compensated GaAsSb/GaAs interface characteristic of type-I band alignment. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.

GaN1-xPx ternary alloys with high P composition grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

GaN1-xPx ternary alloys with high P compositions were deposited on sapphire substrates by means of metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. Depth profiles of the elements indicate that the maximum P/N composition ratio is about 17% and a uniform distribution of the P atoms in the alloys is achieved. 2theta/omega XRD spectra demonstrate that the (0002) peak of the GaN1-xPx alloys shifts to smaller angle with increasing P composition. From the photoluminescence (PL) spectra, the red shifts to the bandedge emission of GaN are determined to be 73, 78, 100 and 87 meV for the GaN1-xPx alloys with the P/N composition ratios of 3%, 11%, 15% and 17%, respectively. No PL peak related to GaP is observed, indicating that the phase separation between GaN and GaP is well suppressed in our GaN1-xPx samples. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.