X-Ray double crystal rocking curves of Ga1−x Al x As/GaAs laser structures

Abstract

The double crystal X-ray rocking curves of Ga1−xAlxAs/GaAs laser structures, with both a single and double confinement, have been calculated on the basis of the Takagi-Taupin dynamica theory. It has been demonstrated that very small changes in the thickness and composition of the active and the internal confining layers give rise to dramatic modifications of the rocking curves; this offers in principle a very powerful tool for measuring very precisely thickness and composition of these layers. However, the shape of the Bragg peak of the external confining layers exhibits a nearly period behaviour as a function of the thickness of the active or the internal confining layer; a simple relation between the thickness period and the composition difference of the considered layers has been obtained for the first time. Finally, the effect of the interchange of the confining layers on the rocking curves has been discussed.