Low-energy cathodoluminescence spectroscopy studies of III-V superlattice interdiffusion: Optical emission properties of diffusion associated defects

Conference · · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. B, Microelectronics Processing and Phenomena; (United States)

OSTI ID:7237802

Viturro, R E ^[1]; Olmsted, B L; Houde-Walter, S N; Wicks, G W ^[2]

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1. Xerox Webster Research Center, NY (United States)
2. Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)

The authors report a direct optical observation of process-specific diffusion-related deep levels associated with interdiffusion in AlGaAs/GaAs superlattice structures. They used low-energy cathodoluminescence spectroscopy (CLS) to investigate the formation and evolution of deep levels for intrinsic, under As overpressure, and Si induced layer intermixing. The spatial distribution of these deep levels strongly correlates with the extent of superlattice intermixing, as measured by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PLS). The measured cathodoluminescence emission energies and intensities reveal the important role of impurities in the mechanism of interdiffusion at III-V semiconductor superlattices. In particular, their experimental results strongly suggest that the larger interdiffusion rate of the Si induced layer intermixing process is related to the formation of a deep level associated with an optical emission at 1.3 eV. These results indicate the potential of the low-energy cathodoluminescence technique for studying deep level formation and deep level inhomogeneities in semiconductor structures.

• OSTI ID: 7237802
• Report Number(s): CONF-910115--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. B, Microelectronics Processing and Phenomena; (United States) Journal Volume: 9:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360602* -- Other Materials-- Structure & Phase Studies
ALUMINIUM ARSENIDES
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
CATHODOLUMINESCENCE
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DIFFUSION
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY
ENERGY LEVELS
FERMI LEVEL
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
LUMINESCENCE
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHOTOLUMINESCENCE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PNICTIDES
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
SPECTROSCOPY