Modulating the growth conditions: Si as an acceptor in (110) GaAs for high mobility p-type heterostructures

Abstract

We implement metallic layers of Si-doped (110) GaAs as modulation doping in high mobility p-type heterostructures, changing to p-growth conditions for the doping layer alone. The strongly autocompensated doping is characterized in bulk samples first, identifying the metal-insulator transition density and confirming classic hopping conduction in the insulating regime. To overcome the poor morphology inherent to Si p-type (110) growth, heterostructures are then fabricated with only the modulation-doping layer grown under p-type conditions. Such heterostructures show a hole mobility of μ=1.75×105cm2∕Vs at density p=2.4×1011cm−2. We identify the zero-field spin-splitting characteristic of p-type heterostructures, but observe a remarkably isotropic mobility and a persistent photoconductivity unusual for p heterojunctions grown on other facets. This modulated growth technique is particularly relevant for p-type cleaved-edge overgrowth and for III-V growth chambers, where Si is the only dopant.