Abstract
Dilute bismide in which a small amount of bismuth is incorporated to host III-Vs is the least studied III-V compound semiconductor and has received steadily increasing attention since 2000. In this paper, we review theoretical predictions of physical properties of bismide alloys, epitaxial growth of bismide thin films and nanostructures, surface, structural, electric, transport and optic properties of various binaries and bismide alloys, and device applications.
Highlights
Group-V element has a large difference in electronegativity (3.04, 2.19, 2.18, 2.05 and 2.02 in Pauling scale for N, P, As, Sb and Bi, respectively) with respect to the host Group-V element, isoelectronic traps can be formed
A bandgap reduction as large as 150 meV/% N was found [40]. This unusual property was later employed by Kondow et al Hitachi Central Laboratory in Japan for making uncooled 1.3 and 1.55 μm telecom InGaNAs quantum well (QW) lasers on GaAs1−xBix alloys and (GaAs) substrates [41], since commercial telecom lasers based on InGaAsP QWs on InP substrates have a low characteristic temperature and an external cooler is required for laser operation
Continuously decreasing As2:Ga flux ratio will not result in a monotonic increase of Bi content, rather risk of forming Ga droplets because excess Ga atoms on the growing GaAsBi surface cannot be evaporated at such a low growth temperature
Summary
Bismuth (Bi) has been known since ancient times but was identified for the first time as a distinct element from lead and tin by Claude Francois Jeoffroy in 1753. While Bi is the last element in the group-V column, it has been largely neglected as a member of the III-V compound semiconductor family which plays a significant role in modern electronic and optoelectronic device applications nowadays. When Bi is incorporated in GaP, the BiP isoelectronic atom traps a hole with a trapping energy close to valence band (VB) and becomes charged [9] It attracts an electron forming a bound exciton and showing the similar effect in luminescence. Tixier et al successfully demonstrated strong room temperature PL from GaAs1−xBix (x ≤ 3.1%) grown by MBE and discovered a giant bandgap reduction of 84 meV/% Bi [44]. Other beneficial properties when using Bi include large spin-orbit (SO) split
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