Electronic and photoluminescent properties of InP prepared by flow modulation epitaxy

Abstract

Epitaxial InP has been prepared by flow modulation epitaxy (FME) over the temperature range of 350–600 °C. The growth and properties of the epitaxial InP were studied as a function of modulation period, reactant partial pressure, and growth temperature. The growth rate was dependent on the trimethylindium reactant partial pressure and growth temperature, with growth rates ranging from 6 Å/cycle to 145 Å/cycle. The desorption of trimethylindium was rate-limiting at intermediate temperatures, and the decomposition of trimethylindium was rate-limiting at low temperatures. The deposited layers were n type with room-temperature carrier concentrations ranging from 7 × 1015 cm−3 to 9.5× 1016 cm−3 for layers deposited at intermediate growth temperatures of 520 to 600 °C and Hall mobilities ranging from 3000 cm2/V s to 4100 cm2/V s. For layers grown at 350 °C the carrier concentrations ranged from 4 × 1013 cm−3 to 2 × 1017 cm−3 with Hall mobilities typically less than 750 cm2/V s. The photoluminescence spectra of the as-deposited layers were dominated by intense near-band edge (NBE) emission at 1.414 eV and an acceptor related emission at 1.377 eV. No significant deep level luminescence was observed in the FME-deposited layers. The full width at half maximum values of the NBE luminescence ranged from 5 meV for layers deposited at 580 °C to 20 meV for layers deposited at 350 °C.