Design of Dislocation-Compensated ZnS y Se1−y /GaAs (001) Heterostructures

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The understanding of lattice relaxation and dislocation dynamics in lattice-mismatched semiconductors makes it possible to design metamorphic device structures utilizing the dislocation compensation mechanism for reduced defects, improved performance, and enhanced reliability. We have developed a dislocation dynamics model accounting for misfit–threading interactions and have applied it to ZnSySe1−y/GaAs (001) heterostructures.1 Dislocation compensation involves the removal of threading dislocations associated with one sense of misfit dislocations by bending them over to create misfit dislocations of the opposite sense at an intentionally mismatched interface. Here we investigated the design of dislocation-compensated ZnSySe1−y/GaAs (001) heterostructures and considered the sulfur mole fraction tolerances applicable to such structures. We considered two types of structures: type A involved a uniform-composition (ungraded) layer on top of a uniform-composition buffer, while type B involved a uniform-composition layer on a linearly graded buffer. For each structure type we studied the requirements on the thickness and compositional profile of the buffer layer to optimize the removal of mobile threading dislocations from the top uniform (device) layer as well as the allowed tolerance in compositional overshoot to achieve structures with low threading dislocation density. We show for both types of structure that (i) for given compositional overshoot at the buffer–device layer interface, there is an optimum buffer thickness which minimizes the dislocation density; and (ii) for given buffer thickness there is an optimum overshoot which minimizes the dislocation density.