Heterostructures and infrared emitters with compressed InAsSb layers

An overview is presented of strained InAsSb heterostructures and infrared emitters. InAsSb/InGaAs strained-layer superlattices (SLS) and InAsSb quantum wells were characterized using magneto-photoluminescence and compared with unstrained InAsSb and InAs alloys. In heterostructures with biaxially compressed InAsSb, large quantum confinement energies were observed, and the holes exhibited a decrease in effective mass, approaching that of the electrons. This study demonstrates that the electrons and holes in the InAsSb heterostructures are confined in the InAsSb layers, and the band offsets are type I. A large increase in the Auger-1 threshold energy should accompany the strain-induced change in valence-band symmetry of the InAsSb layers. Correspondingly, the InAsSb heterostructures display high radiative efficiencies and increased activation energies for nonradiative recombination compared with the unstrained alloys. LEDs and L-mrs with InAsSb heterostructure active regions are described. InAsSb/InGaAs SLS LEDs operating at 300K at wavelengths {le} 5 pm have been demonstrated. Optically pumped InAsSb/InGaAs SLS lasers, with InPSb cladding, had a maximum operating temperature of 100K

Use of high index substrates to enable dislocation filtering in large mismatch systems

We report results in three areas of research relevant to the fabrication of a wide range of optoelectronic devices: The development of a new x-ray diffraction technique that can be used to rapidly determine the optimal period of a strained layer superlattice to maximize the dislocation filtering; The optimal MBE growth parameters for the growth of CdTe on GaAs(211); The determination of the relative efficiency of dislocation filtering in the (211) and (100) orientations; and The surface quality of InSb grown by MOCVD on InSb substrates is affected by the misorientation of the substrate

Interfaces in InAsSb/InGaAs strained-layer superlattices grown by MOCVD for use in infrared emitters

The authors have prepared InAsSb/InGaAs strained-layer superlattices (SLSs) using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). X-ray diffraction was used to determine lattice matching as well as composition and structure of the SLS`s. The presence of an InGaAsSb interface layer was indicated by x-ray diffraction for samples grown under non-optimized conditions. Interfacial layers were also identified with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Two types of interfaces were observed by TEM. The different contrasts observed by TEM could be due to a difference in composition at the interfaces. The width of the x-ray peaks can be explained by a variation of the layer thickness

Development of InAsSb-based light-emitting diodes for chemical sensing systems

Mid-infrared (3--6 {micro}m) LED`s are being developed for use in chemical sensor systems. As rich, InAsSb heterostructures are particularly suited for optical emitters in the mid-infrared region. The authors are investigating both InAsSb-InAs multiple quantum well (MQW) and InAsSb-InAsP strained layer superlattice (SLS) structures for use as the active region for light emitting diodes (LED`s). The addition of phosphorus to the InAs barriers increases the light and heavy hole splitting and hence reduces non-radiative Auger recombination and provides for better electron and hole confinement in the InAsSb quantum well. Low temperature (< 20 K) photoluminescence (PL) emission from MQW structures is observed between 3.2 to 6.0 {micro}m for InAsSb wells between 70 to 100 {angstrom} and antimony mole fractions between 0.04 to 0.18. Room temperature PL has been observed to 6.4 {micro}m in MQW structures. The additional confinement by InAsP barriers results in low temperature PL being observed over a narrower range (3.2 to 5.0 {micro}m) for the similar well thicknesses with antimony mole fractions between 0.10 to 0.24. Room temperature photoluminescence was observed to 5.8 {micro}m in SLS structures. The addition of a p-AlAsSb layer between the n-type active region (MQW or SLS) and a p-GaAsSb contact layer improves electron confinement of the active region and increases output power by a factor of 4. Simple LED emitters have been fabricated which exhibit an average power at room temperature of > 100 {micro}W at 4.0 {micro}m for SLS active regions. These LED`s have been used to detect CO{sub 2} concentrations down to 24 ppm in a first generation, non-cryogenic sensor system. They will report on the development of novel LED device designs that are expected to lead to further improvements in output power

THE USE OF COMPOSITIONALLY GRADED LAYERS TO MINIMIZE SURFACE DEFECTS IN In(AsSb) STRAINED-LAYER SUPERLATTICES

Surface defects have been studied in InAsxSb1-x / InSb strained-layer superlattices as a function of the profile of compositionaly graded buffer layers. Comparisons were made between constant composition, step-graded and continuously graded buffer layers. The use of either constant composition layers or step-graded buffer layers resulted in an increase in surface defects for large lattice mismatch (x>0.1). Surface defects were minimized by the use of continuously graded buffer layers for x = 0.2

High temperature electrical conductivity and thermal decomposition of phenolic- and silicon-based dielectrics for fireset housings

The temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity and thermal decomposition characteristics of several phenolic- and silicone-based materials of interest for fireset case housings have been measured to 600 to 700/sup 0/C. The materials are phenolic or silicone resins reinforced with glass chopped fabric or cloth. The conductivity temperature dependence was measured during decomposition in a nitrogen atmosphere at a heating rate of approx. 10/sup 0/C/minute. Applied electric fields were from 4 x 10/sup 2/ to 4 x 10/sup 3/ volts/cm. Thermal decomposition characteristics were investigated by mass spectroscopy in vacuum and thermal gravimetric analysis in nitrogen and air. Nearly ohmic voltage-current characteristics were obtained, except where decomposition and/or outgassing was pronounced

InAsSb/InPSb Strained-Layer Superlattice Growth Using Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition

The authors report on the metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of strained layer superlattices (SLSs) of InAsSb/InPSb as well as mid-infrared optically pumped lasers grown using a high speed rotating disk-reactor (RDR). The devices contain AlAsSb cladding layers and strained, type I, InAsSb/InPSb active regions. By changing the layer thickness and composition of InAsSb/InPSb SLSs, they have prepared structures with low temperature (&lt; 20 K) photoluminescence wavelengths ranging from 3.4 to 4.8 {micro}m. They find a variation in bandgap of 0.272 to 0.324 eV for layer thicknesses of 9.0 to 18.2 nm. From these data they have estimated a valence band offset for the InAsSb/InPSb interface of about 400 meV. The optical properties of the superlattices revealed an anomalous low energy transition that can be assigned to an antimony rich interfacial layer in the superlattice. An InAsSb/InPSb SLS, laser was grown on an InAs substrate with AlAs{sub 0.16}Sb{sub 0.84} cladding layers. A lasing threshold and spectrally narrowed laser emission were seen from 80 through 200 K, the maximum temperature where lasing occurred. The temperature dependence of the SLS laser threshold is described by a characteristic temperature, T{sub 0} = 72 K, from 80 to 200 K

Low pressure MOCVD (metalorganic chemical vapor deposition) growth of InSb

Low pressure (200 Torr) metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of InSb has been examined through variation of the Column III (TMIn) and Column V (TMSb or TESb) precursor partial pressures. The use of lower growth pressure significantly enhanced the range of allowable Column III Column V partial pressures in which specular morphology InSb could be obtained without the formation of In droplets or Sb crystals. In addition, a 70% improvement in the average hole mobility was obtained, compared to InSb grown in the same reactor at atmospheric pressure. SIMS analysis revealed that Si at the substrate/epitaxial layer interface is an important impurity that may contribute to degradation of the mobility. Substitution of TESb for TMSb did not result in any improvement in the purity of the InSb. 6 refs

X-ray diffraction and doping studies of Ga(AsP)/GaP strained-layer superlattices grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

Metal organic chemical vapor deposition has been used to prepare strained-layer superlattices in the GaAs + GaP system. Both the composition and the layer thickness can be determined by x-ray diffraction. For very thick layers a direct measure of the strain in the layers can be obtained by x-ray diffraction. H/sub 2/Se and Zn(C/sub 2/H/sub 5/)/sub 2/ have been used to prepare n- and p-type superlattices, respectively. Carrier concentrations in the range of 5 x 10/sup 16/ to 5 x 10/sup 18/ cm/sup -3/ have been achieved for n-type superlattices and 1 x 10/sup 17/ to 1 x 10/sup 18/ cm/sup -3/ for p-type superlattices with mobilities of 46 to 183 cm/sup 2/ V sec. The growth and characterization of these materials will be discussed