Optical transitions and type-II band lineup of MBE-grown GaNAs/GaAs single-quantum-well structures

We have investigated transitions above and below band edge of GaNAs/GaAs and InGaNAs/GaAs single quantum wells (QWs) by photoluminescence (PL) as well as by absorption spectra via photovoltaic effects. The interband PL peak is observed to be dominant under high excitation intensity and at low temperature. The broad luminescence band below band edge due to the nitrogen-related potential fluctuations can be effectively suppressed by increasing indium incorporation into InGaNAs. In contrast to InGaNAs/GaAs QWs, the measured interband transition energy of GaNAs/GaAs QWs can be well fitted to the theoretical calculations if a type-II band lineup is assumed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

High-temperature characteristics of GaInNAs/GaAs single-quantum-well lasers grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

GaInNAs/GaAs single-quantum-well (SQW) lasers have been grown by solid-source molecular beam epitaxy. N is introduced by a home-made de-active plasma source. Incorporation of N into InGaAs decreases the bandgap significantly. The highest N concentration of 2.6% in a GaInNAs/GaAs QW is obtained, corresponding to the photoluminescence (PL) peak wavelength of 1.57 mum at 10 K. The PL peak intensity decreases rapidly and the PL full width at half maximum increases with the increasing N concentrations. Rapid thermal annealing at 850 degrees C could significantly improve the crystal quality of the QWs. An optimum annealing time of 5s at 850 degrees C was obtained. The GalnNAs/GaAs SQW laser emitting at 1.2 mum exhibits a high characteristic temperature of 115 K in the temperature range of 20 degrees C- 75 degrees C.

Electrolyte electroreflectance spectroscopy studies on the interfacial behavior of the near-surface In0.15Ga0.85As/GaAs quantum well electrode vertical bar non-aqueous electrolyte

Electrolyte electroreflectance spectra of the near-surface strained-layer In0.15Ga0.85As/GaAs double single-quantum-well electrode have been studied at different biases in non-aqueous solutions of ferrocene and acetylferrocene. The optical transitions, the Franz-Keldysh oscillations (FKOs) and the quantum confined Stark effects (QCSE) of In0.15Ga0.85As/GaAs quantum well electrodes are analyzed. Electric field strengths at the In0.15Ga0.85As/GaAs interface are calculated in both solutions by a fast Fourier transform analysis of FKOs. A dip is exhibited in the electric field strength versus bias (from 0 to 1.2 V) curve in ferrocene solution. A model concerning the interfacial tunneling transfer of electrons is used to explain the behavior of the electric field. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrostatic pressure effect on photoluminescence from a GaN0.015As0.985/GaAs quantum well

Photoluminescence from a GaN0.015As0.985/GaAs quantum well has been measured at 15 K under hydrostatic pressure up to 9 GPa. Both the emissions from the GaNAs well and GaAs barrier are observed. The GaNAs-related peak shows a much weaker pressure dependence compared to that of the GaAs band gap. A group of new peaks appear in the spectra when the pressure is beyond 2.5 GPa, which is attributed to the emissions from the N isoelectronic traps in GaAs. The pressure dependence of the GaNAs-related peaks was calculated using the two-level model with the measured pressure coefficients of the GaAs band gap and N level as fitting parameters. It is found that the calculated results deviate seriously from the experimental data. An increasing of the emission intensity and the linewidth of the GaNAs-related peaks was also observed and briefly discussed. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.

Conduction band offset and electron effective mass in GaInNAs/GaAs quantum-well structures with low nitrogen concentration

We have investigated the optical transitions in Ga1-yInyNxAs1-x/GaAs single and multiple quantum wells using photovoltaic measurements at room temperature. From a theoretical fit to the experimental data, the conduction band offset Q(c), electron effective mass m(e)*, and band gap energy E-g were estimated. It was found that the Q(c) is dependent on the indium concentration, but independent on the nitrogen concentration over the range x=(0-1)%. The m(e)* of GaInNAs is much greater than that of InGaAs with the same concentration of indium, and increases as the nitrogen concentration increases up to 1%. Our experimental results for the m(e)* and E-g of GaInNAs are quantitatively explained by the two-band model based on the strong interaction of the conduction band minimum with the localized N states. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.

Electrical manifestation of the quantum-confined Stark effect by quantum capacitance response in an optically excited quantum well

We have studied the capacitance-voltage characteristics of an optically excited wide quantum well. Both self-consistent simulations and experimental results show the striking quantum contribution to the capacitance near zero bias which is ascribed to the swift decreasing of the overlap between the electron and hole wave functions in the well as the longitudinal field goes up. This quantum capacitance feature is regarded as an electrical manifestation of the quantum-confined Stark effect.

Impurity-free vacancy diffusion technique for InGaAsP/InP multiple quantum well laser structure

Bandgap tuning of the InGaAsP/InP multiple quant um well (MQW) laser structure by the impurity-free vacancy diffusion (IFVD) is investigated using photoluminescence. It has been demonstrated that the effects of the plasma bombardment to the:sample surface involved in the IFVD technique can enhance the intermixing of the InGaAsP/InP MQW laser structure. The reliability of the IFVD technique, particularly the effects of the surface decomposition and the intrinsic defects formed in the growth or preparation of the wafer, has been discussed.

Design consideration and performance of high-power and high-brightness InGaAs-InGaAsP-AlGaAs quantum-well diode lasers (lambda=0.98 mu m)

In this paper, we conduct a theoretical analysis of the design, fabrication, and performance measurement of high-power and high-brightness strained quantum-well lasers emitting at 0.98 mum, The material system of interest consists of an Al-free InGaAs-InGaAsP active region and AlGaAs cladding layers. Some key parameters of the laser structure are theoretically analyzed, and their effects on the laser performance are discussed. The laser material is grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition and demonstrates high quality with low-threshold current density, high internal quantum efficiency, and extremely low internal loss. High-performance broad-area multimode and ridge-waveguide single-mode laser devices are fabricated. For 100-mum-wide stripe lasers having a cavity length of 800 mum, a high slope efficiency of 1.08 W-A, a low vertical beam divergence of 34 degrees, a high output power of over 4.45 W, and a very high characteristic temperature coefficient of 250 K were achieved. Lifetime tests performed at 1.2-1.3 W (12-13 mW/mum) demonstrates reliable performance. For 4-mum-wide ridge waveguide single-mode laser devices, a maximum output power of 394 mW and fundamental mode power up to 200 mW with slope efficiency of 0.91 mW/mum are obtained.

Back-incident SiGe-Si multiple quantum-well resonant-cavity-enhanced photodetectors for 1.3-mu m operation

A back-incident Si-0.65 Ge-0.35/Si multiple quantum-well resonant-cavity-enhanced photodetector operating near 1.3 mum is demonstrated on a separation-by-implantation-oxygen substrate. The resonant cavity is composed of an electron-beam evaporated SiO2-Si distributed Bragg reflector as a top mirror and the interface between the buried SiO2 and the Si substrate as a bottom mirror. We have obtained the responsivity as high as 31 mA/WI at 1.305 mum and the full width at half maximum of 14 nm.

Anisotropic radiation pattern from InGaAlP quantum well mesa-like microdisks

To overcome the isotropic directional emission of an ideal circular microdisk, two kinds of cylindrical mesa-like InGaAlP single quantum well (SQW) microdisks emitting at a visible red wavelength of 0.66 mu m have been fabricated. An anisotropic luminescence pattern was revealed by the microscopic fluorescence (FL) image. FL intensity, preferentially enhanced with twofold symmetry, appeared at the circumference of the InGaAlP SQW microdisks. Our results demonstrated that anisotropic radiation can be achieved by geometry shaping of the disks on the top view two-dimensional boundary slightly deformed from circular shape and/or on the side-view cross-section of the circular mesa by wet etching anisotropic undercut. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

High power 980 nm Al-free strained quantum-well lasers for erbium-doped fiber amplifiers

In this paper, we reported on the fabrication of 980 nm InGaAs/InGaAsP strained quantum-well (QW) lasers with broad waveguide. The laser structure was grown by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on a n(+)- GaAs substrate. For 3 mu m stripe ridge waveguide lasers, the threshold current is 30 mA and the maximum output power and the output power operating in fundamental mode are 350 mW and 200 mW, respectively. The output power from the single mode fiber is up to 100 mW, the coupling efficiency is 50%. We also fabricated 100 mu m broad stripe coated lasers with cavity length of 800 mu m, a threshold current density of 170 A/cm(2), a high slope efficiency of 1.03 W/A and a far-field pattern of 40 x 6 degrees are obtained. The maximum output power of 3.5 W is also obtained for 100 mu m wide coated lasers. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Photoelectrochemical behavior of a novel composite In0.15Ga0.85As/GaAs vertical bar GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As multiple quantum well electrode

A novel composite InxGa1-xAs/GaAs/GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs multiple quantum well material with different well widths was studied as a new kind of photoelectrode in a photoelectrochemical cell. The photocurrent spectrum and photocurrent-electrode potential curve were measured in ferrocene nonaqueous solution. Pronounced quantization effects and strong exciton absorption were observed in the photocurrent spectrum. The effects of surface states and interfacial states on the photocurrent-electrode potential curve are discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

Interband luminescence and absorption of GaNAs/GaAs single-quantum-well structures

We have investigated the interband electron transitions in a GaNAs/GaAs single quantum well (QW) by photoluminescence and absorption spectra. The experimental results show that the dominant photoluminescence at low temperature and high excitation intensity originates from transitions within the GaNAs layer. The interband transition energy for QWs with different well widths can be well fitted if a type-II band line up of GaNAs/GaAs QWs is assumed. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)03220-4].

Infrared absorption efficiency in AlAs/AlxGa1-xAs type-II multiple-quantum-well structure grown on (211) GaAs substrate

We have made a normal incidence high infrared absorption efficiency AlAs/Al0.55Ga0.45As multiple-quantum-well structure grown on (211) GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). A strong infrared absorption signal at 11.6 mu m due to the transition of the ground state to the first excited state, and a small signal at 6.8 mu m due to the transition from the ground state to continuum. were observed. A 45 degrees tilted incidence measurement was also performed on the same sample for the comparison with a normal incidence measurement. Both measurements provide important information about the quantum well absorption efficiency. Efficiencies which evaluate the absorption of electric components perpendicular and parallel to the well plane are eta(perpendicular to) = 25% and eta(parallel to) = 88%, respectively. The total efficiency is then deduced to be eta = 91%. It is apparent that the efficiency eta(parallel to) dominates the total quantum efficiency eta Because an electron in the (211) AlAs well has a small effective mass (m(zx)* or m(zy)*), the normal incidence absorption coefficient is expected to be higher:than that grown on (511) and (311) substrates. Thus, in the present study, we use the (211) substrate to fabricate QWIP. The experimental results indicate the potential of these novel structures for use as normal incidence infrared photodetectors.

A study of Si1-xGex/Si quantum-well intermixing by photocurrent spectroscopy

Photocurrent spectroscopy has been used to study quantum-well intermixing in this paper. The cut-off wavelength of the photodiodes based on the implanted and annealed materials is significantly reduced, compared with that measured in annealed-only photodetectors. The bandgap of SiGe quantum well in implanted and annealed samples is blue-shifted by up to 97 meV, relative to that in annealed-only samples. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.