Molecular-beam epitaxial growth of GaxIn1−xP–GaAs (x∼0.5) double heterojunction laser diodes using solid phosphorus and arsenic valved cracking cells

Abstract

Growth of GaxIn1−xP–GaAs (x∼0.5) double heterojunction injection lasers was achieved with molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) employing phosphorus and arsenic valved cells. White phosphorus at 25 °C, generated in situ from amorphous red, provided the P4 vapor necessary for alloy growth. Photoluminescence performed on unintentionally doped epitaxial GaxIn1−xP (x=0.395–0.55) on GaAs showed 300 K spectral full-width-at-half-maximum between 35–40 meV and were as narrow as 9 meV at 77 K. Broad area (60×450 μm2) stripe geometry laser diodes with 0.1 μm active regions had threshold current densities on the order of 1.5 kA/cm2. Threshold current densities for diodes with 0.25 μm active region widths were about 2 kA/cm2. The data show optical devices and compounds grown by MBE with solid phosphorus and arsenic valved cracking cells are comparable to that realized by other techniques which use AsH3 and PH3 sources.