Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T17:30:55.819Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Optical Properties of Pseudomorphic InxGa1−xAs Quantum Wells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2011

N. G. Anderson
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695–7911
Y. C. Lo
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695–7911
R. M. Kolbas
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695–7911
Get access

Abstract

The luminescence properties of MBE-grown pseudomorphic InxGa1−xAs—GaAs quantum-well structures are examined as a function of photoexcitation intensity and temperature. The structures examined consist of single In0.28Ga0.72As or (isolated) multiple In0.16Ga0.84As pseudomorphic wells sandwiched between thick, unstrained GaAs confining layers. Low-temperature photoluminescence spectra for these samples, which range in quantum-well thickness from 17 Å to 50 Å, consist of a single feature attributable to transitions associated with n = 1 electron and j = 3/2, Mj = 3/2 > - hole states. Spectral widths of these peaks are very narrow (7–11 meV), even for a heavily spike-doped sample (Si, ND ∼ 1018 spike-doped at well center). Emission intensities for the quantum-well structures are studied as a function of excitation intensity over the range 3 × 102 ≤ Pex ≤ 6 x 1O4 W/cm2, and one of the samples (x = 0.16, 50 Å undoped wells) prepared as a laser structure is shown to support stimulated emission at an excitation intensity < 104 W/cm2. The excellent luminescence properties of these structures are shown to degrade rapidly with increasing temperature, with radiative efficiencies dropping more than two orders of magnitude over the temperature range 20K – 180K. One possible explanation for this behavior is proposed.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. See the review on strained-layer superlattices by Osbourn, G.C., Gourley, P.L., Fritz, I.J., Biefield, R.M., Dawson, L.R. and Zipperian, T. E. in Semiconductors and Semimetals, Vol. 25, edited by Williardson, R.K. and Beer, A.C., Academic, New York (1986).Google Scholar
2. Matthews, J.W. and Blakeslee, A.E., J. Cryst. Growth 22, 265 (1976).Google Scholar
3. Anderson, N.G., Laidig, W.D., Kolbas, R.M. and Lo, Y.C., J. Appl. Phys. 60, 2361 (1986).Google Scholar
4. Fritz, I.J., Drummond, T.J., Osbourn, G.C., Schirber, J.E. and Jones, E.D., Appl. Phys. Lett. 48., 1678 (1986).Google Scholar
5. Anderson, N.G., Lo, Y.C. and Kolbas, R.M., Appl. Phys. Lett. 42, 758 (1986).Google Scholar
6. Ketterson, A.A., Masselink, W.T., Gedyman, J.S., Klem, J., Peng, C. K., Kopp, W.F., Morkoc, H. and Gleason, K.R., IEEE Trans. Electron Devices, ED–33, 564 (1986).Google Scholar
7. Fritz, I.J., Picraux, S.T., Dawson, L.R., Drummond, T.J., Laidig, W.D. and Anderson, N.G., Appl. Phys. Lett. 46, 967 (1985).Google Scholar
8. Holonyak, N. Jr, and Scifers, D.R., Rev. Sci. Instrum 42, 1885 (1971).Google Scholar
9. Asai, H. and Oe, K., J. Appl. Phys. 54, 2052 (1983).Google Scholar
10. Holonyak, N. Jr, Vojak, B.A., Morkoc, H., Drummond, T.J. and Hess, K., Appl. Phys. Lett. 40., 658 (1982).Google Scholar
11. Similar behavior has also been observed in InxGa1−xAs—GaAs strained-layer structures by others: Dahl, D.A., Dries, L.J., Junga, F.A., Opyd, W.G. and Chu, P., J. Appl. Phys. (to be published, March 1, 1987), and W.W. Anderson, private communication.Google Scholar
12. Anderson, N.G., Laidig, W.D. and Lin, Y.F., J. Electronic Mat. 14, 203 (1985).Google Scholar