Control of emission wavelength for InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells and laser structures on their basis by means of proton irradiation

Abstract

Features of controlling the wavelength of emission from laser heterostructures with strained InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells by irradiation with medium-energy (with the energy as high as 150 keV) protons are studied. It is established that irradiation with H+ ions and subsequent thermal annealing at a temperature of 700°C make it possible to decrease the wavelength of emission from quantum wells. As the dose of ions is increased from 1013 to 1016 cm−2, the magnitude of change in the wavelength increases to 20 nm. Starting with a dose of 1015 cm−2, a significant decrease in the intensity of emission is observed. The optimum dose of H+ ions (6 × 1014 cm−2) and annealing temperature (700°C) for modifying the InGaAs/GaAs/InGaP laser structures are determined; it is shown that, in this case, one can obtain a shift of ∼(8–10) nm for the wavelength of laser radiation with low losses in intensity with the quality of the surface of laser structures retained. The observed “blue” shift is caused by implantation-stimulated processes of intermixing of the In and Ga atoms at the InGaAs/GaAs interface.