Interdiffusion of Indium in piezoelectric InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells grown by molecular beam epitaxy on (11n) substrates

Journal Article · Fri Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 2004 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1783611· OSTI ID:20662076

Yee-Rendon, C M; Perez-Centeno, A; Melendez-Lira, M; Lopez-Lopez, M; Furuya, Kazuo; Vaccaro, Pablo O ^[1]

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1. Physics Department, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Apartado Postal 14-740 07000 Mexico, DF (Mexico)

Pseudomorphic In{sub 0.2}Ga{sub 0.8}As/GaAs quantum wells (QWs) were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs substrates oriented along (11n) directions, with n=1,2,3,4. The optical and structural properties of the heterostructures were studied by photoluminescence (PL), photoreflectance (PR) spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy measurements. The energy transitions in the QWs have two contributions, a blueshift due to the compressive strain, and a redshift due to the quantum confined Stark effect produced by the piezoelectric field present in the QWs. A variational approach was employed to calculate the QWs ground energy transitions employing an ideal potential well with sharp interfaces. The theoretical energy transitions were fitted to the PL peaks energy to obtain the electric fields in the InGaAs QWs. The obtained electric fields show discrepancies with theoretical piezoelectric fields calculated from the strain present in the QWs. In order to overcome these discrepancies, we propose to include interdiffusion effects of In at the well interfaces. The matrix transfer method was implemented to numerically solve the Schroedinger equation taking into account In interdiffusion effects by including an asymmetric potential well with a profile depending on the details of the In incorporation. With interdiffusion effects included in the energy level calculations, and assuming the expected piezoelectric fields, the theoretical results reproduce very well the experimental values of PL and PR.

• OSTI ID: 20662076
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 96; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ENERGY GAP
ENERGY LEVELS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
HETEROJUNCTIONS
INDIUM
INDIUM ARSENIDES
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
PHOTOLUMINESCENCE
PIEZOELECTRICITY
POTENTIALS
QUANTUM WELLS
SCHROEDINGER EQUATION
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SPECTRAL SHIFT
SPECTROSCOPY
STARK EFFECT
SUBSTRATES
VARIATIONAL METHODS