Controversy of critical layer thickness for InGaAs/GaAs strained-layer epitaxy

Abstract

The critical layer thickness for InxGa1−xAs layers in InxGa1−xAs/GaAs single strained quantum wells (SSQW’s) and strained-layer superlattices (SLS’s) are investigated. Photoluminescence microscopy (PLM) images and x-ray rocking curves for two series of SSQW and SLS structures corresponding to many different layer thicknesses were obtained. We find that the PLM technique, which directly images dislocations and is sensitive to low dislocation densities, is much more suitable for determining the onset of dislocation creation. The x-ray technique can detect lattice relaxation by dislocations but only at relatively high densities of dislocations. Using the former technique, we determine critical thicknesses of 190 Å for SSQW’s and 250 Å for SLS’s with x≊0.2. These results are near the theoretical predictions of J. W. Matthews, S. Mader, and T. B. Light [J. Appl. Phys. 41, 3800 (1970)] (150 and 300 Å, respectively) and are much lower than results obtained by x-ray or other techniques which sense lattice relaxation.