Strain relaxation properties of InAs{sub y}P{sub 1-y} metamorphic materials grown on InP substrates
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 (United States)
The strain relaxation mechanism and defect properties of compositionally step-graded InAs{sub y}P{sub 1-y} buffers grown by molecular beam epitaxy on InP have been investigated. InAsP layers having lattice misfits ranging from 1% to 1.4% with respect to InP, as well as subsequently grown lattice matched In{sub 0.69}Ga{sub 0.31}As overlayers on the metamorphic buffers were explored on both (100) and 2 deg. offcut (100) InP substrates. The metamorphic graded buffers revealed very efficient relaxation coupled with low threading dislocation densities on the order of (1-2)x10{sup 6} cm{sup -2} for the range of misfit values explored here. A detailed analysis via high resolution x-ray diffraction revealed that the strain relaxed symmetrically, with equivalent numbers of {alpha} and {beta} dislocations, and to greater than 90% for all cases, regardless of substrate offcut. Further analysis showed the relaxation to always be glide limited in these materials when grown on a graded buffer compared to a single step layer. The threading dislocation density was observed by plan-view transmission electron microscopy to be constant for the range of misfit values studied here in the top layer of the graded structures, which is attributed to the very efficient use of residual dislocations and the dominance of dislocation glide over nucleation in these graded anion metamorphic buffers, suggesting great promise for metamorphic devices with lattice constants greater than that of InP to be enabled by InAsP metamorphic structures on InP.
- OSTI ID:
- 21190074
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 105, Issue 6; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3098232; (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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