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Microstructure of Compositionally Modulated InAlAs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

R. D. Twesten ,
J. Mirecki Millunchick ,
S. P. Ahrenkielt ,
Yong Zhangt ,
S. R. Lee ,
D. M. Follstaedt ,
A. Mascarenhast  and
E. D. Jones
R. D. Twesten
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM. 87185-1056
J. Mirecki Millunchick
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM. 87185-1056
S. P. Ahrenkielt
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO. 80401
Yong Zhangt
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO. 80401
S. R. Lee
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM. 87185-1056
D. M. Follstaedt
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM. 87185-1056
A. Mascarenhast
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM. 87185-1056
E. D. Jones
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM. 87185-1056
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Abstract

We have observed spontaneous, lateral composition modulation in tensile InAlAs alloy films grown as short-period superlattices on InP (001). We have analyzed these films using transmission electron microscopy, x-ray reciprocal space mapping, and polarized photoluminescence spectroscopy. We find the growth front is nonplanar, exhibiting ∼2nm deep cusps aligned with the In-rich regions of the compositionally modulated films. In addition to the measured 15nm wavelength modulation in the [110] direction, a modulation of 30nm wavelength is seen in the orthogonal [110] direction. The photoluminescence from the modulated layer is strongly polarized and red shifted by 0.22eV.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 441: Thin Films – Structure and Morphology , 1996 , 187
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

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