In GaAs-based pseudomorphic high-electron mobility transistor device structures, strain and composition of the InxGa1−xAs channel layer are very important as they influence the electronic properties of these devices. In this context, transmission electron microscopy techniques such as (002) dark-field imaging, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) imaging, scanning transmission electron microscopy-high angle annular dark field (STEM-HAADF) imaging and selected area diffraction, are useful. A quantitative comparative study using these techniques is relevant for assessing the merits and limitations of the respective techniques. In this article, we have investigated strain and composition of the InxGa1−xAs layer with the mentioned techniques and compared the results. The HRTEM images were investigated with strain state analysis. The indium content in this layer was quantified by HAADF imaging and correlated with STEM simulations. The studies showed that the InxGa1−xAs channel layer was pseudomorphically grown leading to tetragonal strain along the [001] growth direction and that the average indium content (x) in the epilayer is ~0.12. We found consistency in the results obtained using various methods of analysis.

Structure and chemistry across the rare earth oxide-Ge interfaces of a Gd2O3-Ge-Gd2O3 heterostructure grown on p-Si (111) substrate using encapsulated solid phase epitaxy method have been studied at nanoscale using various transmission electron microscopy methods. The structure across both the interfaces was investigated using reconstructed phase and amplitude at exit plane. Chemistry across the interfaces was explored using elemental mapping, high-angle annular dark-field imaging, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Results demonstrate the structural and chemical abruptness of both the interfaces, which is most essential to maintain the desired quantum barrier structure.

Photoluminescence spectra were measured for 100 Å wurtzite GaN AlGaN modulation doped quantum wells. Three well-resolved peaks originate from the quantum well. The theoretically calculated confinement energies have been compared to the experimental energy positions and found to be in good agreement with the data, assuming that the piezoelectric field is largely screened by the electron gas. The highest energy transition may originate from the Fermi edge, consistent with the temperature dependence of the photoluminescence. Decay times for the different transitions indicate that the photoexcited holes are localized.

The dependence of the In-incorporation efficiency and the optical properties of MOVPE-grown GaInN/GaN-heterostructures on various growth parameters has been investigated. A significant improvement of the In-incorporation rate could be obtained by increasing the growth rate and reducing the H2-partial pressure in the MOVPE reactor. However, GaInN layers with a high In-content typically show an additional low energy photoluminescence peak, whose distance to the band-edge increases with increasing In-content. For GaInN/GaN quantum wells with an In-content of approximately 12%, an increase of the well thickness is accompanied by a significant line broadening and a large increase of the Stokes shift between the emission peak and the band edge determined by photothermal deflection spectroscopy. With a further increase of the thickness of the GaInN layer, a second GaInN-correlated emission peak emerges. To elucidate the nature of these optical transitions, power-dependent as well as time-resolved photoluminescence measurements have been performed and compared to the results of scanning transmission electron microscopy.

We have performed photoluminescence (PL) measurements at liquid nitrogen temperature under high pressure up to 5.5 GPa and in the temperature range 10-300 K at atmospheric pressure on {(ZnSe)30(ZnSe0.92Te0.08)30(ZnSe)30[(CdSe)1(ZnSe)2]9}x5 multiple quantum wells. The PL peaks, EB, E1 and Ew corresponding to the band edge luminescence in ZnSe barrier layer, the transitions from the first conduction subband to the heavy-hole subband in ZnSe0.92Te0.08 layers and [(CdSe)1(ZnSe)2]9 ultra short period superlattice quantum well (SPSLQW) layers have been observed. Experimental results show that ZnSe0.92Te0.08/ZnSe forms a type-I superlattice (SL) in contrast to the type-II ZnSe/ZnTe SL. The pressure coefficients of the EB, E1 and Ew exciton peaks have been determined as 67, 63 and 56 meV/GPa, respectively. With increasing temperature (or pressure), the E1 peak-intensity drastically decreases which is attributed to the thermal effect (or the appearance of many defects in ZnSe0.92Te0.08 under higher pressure).