Influences of initial nitridation process on the optical and structural characterization of GaN layer grown on sapphire (0001) by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

In this paper. we investigate the influences of the initial nitridation of sapphire substrates on the optical and structural characterizations in GaN films. Two GaN samples with and without 3 min nitridation process were investigated by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy in the temperature range of 12-300 K and double-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD). In the 12 K PL spectra of the GaN sample without nitridation, four dominant peaks at 3.476, 3.409 3.362 and 3.308 eV were observed, which were assigned to donor bound exciton, excitons bound to stacking faults and extended structural defects. In the sample with nitridation, three peaks at 3.453, 3.365. and 3.308 eV were observed at 12 K, no peak related to stacking faults. XRD results at different reflections showed that there are more stacking faults in the samples without nitridation.

X-ray double-crystal characterization of the strain relaxation in GaAs/GaNxAs1-x/GaAs(001) sandwiched structures

An X-ray diffraction method, estimating the strain relaxation in an ultrathin layer, has been discussed by using kinematic and dynamical X-ray diffraction (XRD) theory. The characteristic parameter Delta Omega, used as the criterion of the strain relaxation in ultrathin layers, is deduced theoretically. It reveals that Delta Omega should be independent of the layer thickness in a coherently strained layer. By this method, we characterized our ultrathin GaNxAs1-x samples with N contents up to 5%. XRD measurements show that our GaNxAs1-x layers are coherently strained on GaAs even for such a large amount of N. Furthermore, a series of GaNxAs1-x samples with same N contents but different layer thicknesses were also characterized. It was found that the critical thickness (L-c) of GaNAs in the GaAs/GaNAs/GaAs structures determined by XRD measurement was 10 times smaller than the theoretical predictions based on the Matthews and Blakeslee model. This result was also confirmed by in situ observation of reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. RHEED observation showed that the growth mode of GaNAs layer changed from 2D- to 3D-mode as the layer thickness exceeded L-c. PL measurements showed that the optical properties of GaNAs layers deteriorated rapidly as the layer thickness exceeded L-c. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of buffer layer growth conditions on the secondary hexagonal phase content in cubic GaN films on GaAs(001) substrates

In this letter, we investigated the effect of the buffer layer growth conditions on the secondary hexagonal phase content in cubic GaN films on GaAs(0 0 1) substrate. The reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) pattern of the low-temperature GaN buffer layers shows that both the deposition temperature and time are important in obtaining a smooth surface. Four-circle X-ray double-crystal diffraction (XRDCD) reciprocal space mapping was used to study the hexagonal phase inclusions in the cubic GaN (c-GaN) films grown on the buffer layers. The calculation of the volume contents of the hexagonal phase shows that higher temperature and longer time deposition of the buffer layer is not preferable for growing pure c-GaN film. Under optimized condition, 47 meV FWHM of near band gap emission of the c-GaN film was achieved. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of lateral propagating modes on laser output characteristics in selectively oxidized vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers with double oxide layers

The influence of lateral propagating modes on the threshold current and the spontaneous emission factor in selectively oxidized vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) is investigated based on the mode behaviors of lateral propagating modes and the rate equation model. The numerical results show that the lateral propagating modes may be trapped in the aperture region for the selectively oxidized VCSEL with two oxide layers, one above and one below the active region. The output characteristics of VCSELs can be affected due to the reabsorption of the quasitrapped lateral propagating modes. A lower threshold current can be expected for a VCSEL with double oxide layers than that with a single oxide layer. The numerical results of rate equations also show that a larger spontaneous emission factor can be obtained by fitting the output-input curves for the VCSEL with double oxide layers. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)07919-0].

Double crystal X-ray diffraction study of MBE self-organized InAs quantum dots

A series of GaAs/InAs/GaAs samples were studied by double crystal X-ray diffraction and the X-ray dynamic theory was used to analyze the X-ray diffraction results. As the thickness of InAs layer exceeds 1.7 monolayer, 3-dimensional InAs islands appear. Pendellosung fringes shifted. A multilayer structure model is proposed to describe the strain status in the InAs islands of the sample and a good agreement is obtained between the experimental and theoretical curves.

Wurtzite GaN epitaxial growth on a Si(001) substrate using gamma-Al2O3 as an intermediate layer

Wurtzite GaN films have been grown on (001) Si substrates using gamma-Al2O3 as an intermediate layer by low pressure (similar to 76 Torr) metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Reflection high energy electron diffraction and double crystal x-ray diffraction measurements revealed that the thin gamma-Al2O3 layer of "compliant" character was an effective intermediate layer for the GaN film grown epitaxially on Si. The narrowest linewidth of the x-ray rocking curve for (0002) diffraction of the 1.3 mu m GaN sample was 54 arcmin. The orientation relationship of GaN/gamma-Al2O3/Si was (0001) GaN parallel to(001) gamma-Al2O3 parallel to(001) Si, [11-20] GaN parallel to[110] gamma-Al2O3 parallel to[110] Si. The photoluminescence measurement for GaN at room temperature exhibited a near band-edge peak of 365 nm (3.4 eV). (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.

Molecular beam epitaxy growth of Iny2Al1-y2As/In0.73Ga0.27As/Iny1Al1-y1As/InP P-HEMTs with enhancement conductivity using an intentional nonlattice-matched buffer layer

Pseudomorphic Iny2Al1-y2As/In0.73Ga0.27As/Iny1Al1-y1As (y1 greater than or equal to 0.52) modulation-doped heterostructures with an intentional nonlattice-matched buffer layer were successfully grown by molecular beam epitaxy on (100)InP substrates. Fourier transform photoluminescence and double crystal x-ray diffraction measurements show a superior crystalline quality in the high In content channel, when In mole fraction increases from y1=0.52 to 0.55 in the Iny1Al1-y1As buffer layer. In this case, an increasing of 16.3% and 23.5% for conductivity (mu xn(s)) and mobility, related to the strain compensation in the In0.73Ga0.27As channel, was achieved, respectively, comparing to the structure containing a well-lattice matched buffer layer. With increasing the mismatch further (y1=0.58), a morphology with cross-hatched pattern was observed due to the onset of a large amount of misfit dislocations, and the electronic characterization is not able to be improved continuously. Because we can realize high quality strained P-HEMTs in a relative wide range of equivalent beam flux (EBF) ratios, the stringent control over the constant EBF is not indispensable on this In-based material system. (C) 1997 American Vacuum Society.

DENSITY-OF-STATES OF THE 2-DIMENSIONAL ELECTRON-GAS STUDIED BY MAGNETOCAPACITANCES OF BIASED DOUBLE-BARRIER STRUCTURES

The magnetocapacitive response of a double-barrier structure (DBS), biased beyond resonances, has been employed to determine the density of states (DOS) of the two-dimensional electron gas residing in the accumulation layer on the incident side of the DBS. An adequate procedure is developed to compare the model calculation of the magnetocapacitance with the experimental C vs B curves measured at different temperatures and biases. The results show that the fitting is not only self-consistent but also remarkably good even in well-defined quantum Hall regimes. As a result, information about the DOS in strong magnetic fields could reliably be extracted.

INVESTIGATION OF GAAS/SI MATERIAL BY X-RAY DOUBLE-CRYSTAL DIFFRACTION

GaAs epilayer films on Si substrates grown by molecular-beam epitaxy were investigated by the x-ray double-crystal diffraction method. The rocking curves were recorded for different diffraction vectors of samples. The results show that the unit-cell volumes of GaAs epilayers are smaller than that of the GaAs bulk material. The strained-layer superlattice buffer layer can improve the quality of the film, especially in the surface lamella. The parameter W' = W(expt)/(square-root \gamma-h\/gamma-0/sin 2-theta-B) is introduced to describe the quality of different depths of epilayers. As the x-ray incident angle is increased, W' also increases, that is, the quality of the film deteriorates with increasing penetration distance of the x-ray beam. Therefore, W' can be considered as a parameter that describes the degree of perfection of the epilayer along the depth below the surface. The cross-section transmission electron microscopy observations agree with the results of x-ray double-crystal diffraction.

A transition layer model and its application to resonant tunneling in heterostructures

A transition layer model is proposed and used to calculate resonant tunneling in a double-barrier quantum well system. Compared with the ideal step of the potential at the interface, the studied system has transition layers that are composed by many thin rectangular barriers with a random height. It is found that these transition layers can improve the peak-to-valley ratio of the tunneling current and change the negative differential conductance.

Study of double barrier superlattice by synchrotron radiation and double-crystal x-ray diffraction

An (A1As/GaAs/A1As/A1GaAs)/GaAs(001) double-barrier superlattice grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is studied by combining synchrotron radiation and double-crystal x-ray diffraction (DCD). The intensity of satellite peaks is modulated by the wave function of each sublayer in one superlattice period. Simulated by the x-ray dynamical diffraction theory, it is discovered that the intensity of the satellite peaks situated near the modulating wave node point of each sublayer is very sensitive to the variation of the layer structural parameters, The accurate layer thickness of each sublayer is obtained with an error less than 1 Angstrom. Furthermore, x-ray kinematical diffraction theory is used to explain the modulation phenomenon. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.

Self-consistent calculation of electronic states in asymmetric double barrier structure

With contributions from both three-dimensional (3D) electrons in heavily doped contacts and 2D electrons in the accumulation layer, a self-consistent calculation based on effective mass theory is presented for studying the anomalous behaviour of the quasi-bound levels in the accumulation layer and that in the central well of an asymmetric double barrier structure (DBS). By choosing the thickness of the incident barrier properly, it is revealed that these two quasi-bound levels may merge into a unique bound level in the off-resonance regime which shows a very good 2D nature in contrast to the conventional picture for level crossing. An evident intrinsic I-V bistability is also shown. It is noticeable that the effect of charge build-up in the central well is so strong that the electric field in the incident barrier even decreases when the applied bias increases within the resonant region.

Quantum interference effect in GaAs/AlGaAs double quantum wells

Quantum interference properties of GaAs/AlGaAs symmetric double quantum wells were investigated in a magnetic field parallel to heterointerfaces at 1.9 K. For two types of samples used in our experiments, two GaAs quantum wells with the same width of 60 Angstrom are separated by an AlGaAs barrier layer of 120 Angstrom and 20 degrees thick, respectively. The channels with the length of 2 mu m are defined by alloyed ohmic contacts. The conductance oscillation as a function of the magnetic flux Phi(= B/s) was observed and oscillation period is approximately equal to h/e. The results are in agreement with the theoretical expectation of the Aharonov-Bohm effect. Conductance oscillations are apparent slightly in the samples with a thinner AlGaAs barrier.

PHOTOLUMINESCENCE SPECTRUM STUDY OF THE GAAS/SI EPILAYER GROWN BY USING A THIN AMORPHOUS SI FILM AS BUFFER LAYER

Recently, we reported successful growth of high-quality GaAs/Si epilayers by using a very thin amorphous Si film as buffer layer. In this paper, the impurity properties of this kind of GaAs/Si epilayers have been studied by using PL spectrum, SIMS and Hall measurement. Compared to a typical PL spectrum of the GaAs/Si epilayers grown by conventional two-step method, a new peak was observed in our PL spectrum at the energy of 1.462 eV, which is assigned to the band-to-silicon acceptor recombination. The SIMS analysis indicates that the silicon concentration in this kind of GaAs/Si epilayers is about 10(18) cm(-3). But its carrier concentration (about 4 x 10(17) cm(-3)) is lower than the silicon concentration. The lower carrier concentration in this kind of GaAs/Si epilayer can be interpreted both as the result of higher compensation and as the result of the formation of the donor-defect complex. We also found that the high-quality and low-Si-concentration GaAs/Si epilayers can be regrown by using this kind of GaAs/Si epilayer as substrate. The FWHM of the X-ray (004) rocking curve from this regrowth GaAs epilayer is 118 '', it is much less than that of the first growth GaAs epilayer (160 '') and other reports for the GaAs/Si epilayer grown by using conventional two-step method (similar to 200 '').

Effect of Annealing on Structural and Magnetic Properties of a Thick (Ga,Mn)As Layer

We investigate effects of annealing on magnetic properties of a thick (Ga,Mn)As layer, and find a dramatic increase of the Curie temperature from 65 to 115 K by postgrowth annealing for a 500-nm (Ga,Mn)As layer. Auger electron spectroscopy measurements suggest that the increase of the Curie temperature is mainly due to diffusion of Mn interstitial to the free surface. The double-crystal x-ray diffraction patterns show that the lattice constant of (Ga,Mn)As decreases with increasing annealing temperature. As a result, the annealing induced reduction of the lattice constant is mainly attributed to removal of Mn interstitial.