Characterization of n+ Ga1-xAlxAs (x

Abstract

Photocurrent spectroscopy (PCS), photovoltage spectroscopy (PVS) and electrolyte electroreflectance spectroscopy (EER) have been compared as techniques for compositional characterization of n-Ga1-xAlxAs epitaxial layers (x<or=0.3, Nd=1018 cm-3) in 0.1 mol 1-1 KOH. The donor densities and flatband potentials of the samples in 0.1 mol 1-1 KOH have also been studied by admittance measurements in the frequency range 500 Hz to 10 kHz, both in the dark and under illumination. The donor densities obtained in this way are compared with values derived from mercury probe capacitance measurements on the same samples. Values of the flatband potential (Efb) measured in the dark showed a systematic variation with aluminium content consistent with the changes in bandgap energy. The displacement of Efb caused by illumination was found to switch from negative to positive as the Al content was increased from 0% to 30%, demonstrating that the photoinduced surface charge is sensitive to bulk composition. The bandgaps (Eg) derived by analysis of photovoltage and photocurrent spectra are compared with Eg values derived by three-point fits of the EER spectra at E0. The latter values were found to depend on the DC bias applied to the samples and this is attributed to the effect of the inhomogeneous field in the space-charge region.