Tertiarybutylphosphine Research Articles

Size control of InP nanowires by in situ annealing and its application to the formation of InAsP quantum dots

We carried out in situ annealing of InP nanowires (NWs) in a metal-organic vapor phase epitaxial (MOVPE) growth reactor to control and reduce the tip size of InP NWs. InP NWs were grown by selective-area (SA) MOVPE on partially masked (111)A InP substrates, and annealing was successively applied in tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) ambient. Initially, the InP NWs had a hexagonal cross-section with {112¯} facets vertical to the substrates; they became tapered, and the edges were rounded by annealing. By appropriately selecting the annealing temperature and initial NW diameter, the tip size of the NW was reduced and NWs with a tip size of 20 nm were successfully formed. Subsequently, a thin InAsP layer was grown on the annealed NWs and their photoluminescence was investigated at low temperatures. The characterization results indicated the formation of InAsP quantum dots (QDs) emitting in the telecom band. Our approach is useful for reducing the size of the NWs and for the controlled formation of InAsP QDs embedded in InP NWs in photonic devices compatible with telecom bands.

Kinking of GaP Nanowires Grown in an In Situ (S)TEM Gas Cell Holder

AbstractNanowires are a promising structure to create new defect‐free heterostructures and optoelectronic devices. GaP nanowires grown via the VLS mechanism using tertiary‐butyl phosphine (TBP) and trimethylgallium (TMGa) as precursors in an in situ closed gas cell heating holder are shown. This holder is a model system to investigate the processes in metal‐organic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE). GaP nanowires change their growth direction after random distances by producing kinks. Statistics of these kink angles show dominant values of around 70.5°, 109.5°, and 123.7°. A custom holder tip capable of holding a single heating chip is used to perform scanning precession electron diffraction (SPED) measurements on the nanowire kinks. The results show that the predominant kink angles result from micro twins of first and second order. Understanding the defect formation and resulting geometry changes in GaP nanowires can lead to increased control over their shape during growth and mark a huge step toward applicable nanowire devices.

A growth diagram for chemical beam epitaxy of GaP1−xNx alloys on nominally (001)-oriented GaP-on-Si substrates

The compound GaP1−xNx is highly attractive to pseudomorphically integrate red-light emitting devices and photovoltaic cells with the standard Si technology because it is lattice matched to Si with a direct bandgap energy of ≈1.96 eV for x = 0.021. Here, we report on the chemical beam epitaxy of GaP1−xNx alloys on nominally (001)-oriented GaP-on-Si substrates. The incorporation of N into GaP1−xNx was systematically investigated as a function of growth temperature and the fluxes of the N and P precursors, 1,1-dimethylhydrazine (DMHy) and tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP), respectively. We found that the N mole fraction exhibits an Arrhenius behavior characterized by an activation energy of (0.79 ± 0.05) eV. With respect to the fluxes, we determined that the N mole fraction is linearly proportional to the flux of DMHy and inversely proportional to the one of TBP. All results are summarized in a universal equation that describes the dependence of x on the growth temperature and the fluxes of the group-V precursors. The results are further illustrated in a growth diagram that visualizes the variation of x as the growth temperature and the flux of DMHy are varied. This diagram also shows how to obtain single-phase and flat GaP1−xNx layers, as certain growth conditions result in chemically phase-separated layers with rough surface morphologies. Finally, our results demonstrate the feasibility of chemical beam epitaxy to obtain single-phase and flat GaP1−xNx layers with x up to about 0.04, a value well above the one required for the lattice-matched integration of GaP1−xNx-based devices on Si.

Revealing the Significance of Catalytic and Alkyl Exchange Reactions during GaAs and GaP Growth by Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy

Tertiarybutylarsine (TBAs) and tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) are getting more and more established as group V precursors for the growth of V/III semiconductors by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE). Due to this development, the thermal decomposition of these precursors was studied during the growth of GaAs and GaP utilizing the Ga precursors, trimethylgallium (TMGa), triethylgallium (TEGa), and tritertiarybutylgallium (TTBGa), in a horizontal AIXTRON AIX 200 GFR MOVPE system. The decomposition and reaction products were measured in line with a real-time Fourier transform quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer from Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH. The decomposition temperatures and the related activation energies were determined for all the mentioned precursors under comparable reactor conditions. The decomposition curves suggest, on the one hand, a catalytic effect of the GaAs surface on the decomposition of TBAs. On the other hand, the decomposition products indicate alkyl exchange as a relevant step during the bimolecular decomposition of TBAs and TBP with the Ga precursors TMGa, TEGa, and TTBGa. The catalytic reaction reduces the decomposition temperature of TBAs and TBP by up to 200 °C. In addition, for the growth of GaAs with TBAs and TEGa and for the growth of GaP with TBP and TEGa, a significant decrease of the decomposition temperature with an increasing V/III ratio is observed. This behavior, which is related to an alkyl exchange reaction, gives insights into the low-temperature growth of GaAs and GaP and is converted into an effective V/III ratio. Finally, the growth of GaAs with TTBGa and TBAs is realized at 300 °C below the unimolecular decomposition temperature of TBAs, underlining the catalytic effect of the GaAs surface. Altering the growth surface with trimethylbismuth led to the prevention of the catalytic effect.

Selective-Area Growth of AlInAs Nanowires

High performance transistors are required for the beyond CMOS in terms of low drive voltage, high drain current, high ION/IOFF ratio, and scalability. A superlattice (SL) resonance tunneling field-effect transistor (RTFET) achieves a steep subthreshold slope (SS < 60 mV/decade) while enhancing drain currents with high ION/IOFF ratio as compared with conventional TFETs [1]. However, the difficulty remains in forming high quality SL with various lattice mismatched system. NW structures enable us to maintain lattice strain and increase the critical thickness as compared with planar structures [2]. Thus, NWs can avoid formation of the misfit dislocations in highly lattice mismatched systems. In addition, vertical NWs are suitable for the vertical gate-all-around FETs (VGAA-FETs), which have superior scalability as compared with lateral FETs [3]. The lattice mismatched InGaAs/AlInAs SL is promising candidate for the RTFET [1]. There are, however, no insights regarding nanometer-scaled selective-area growth of AlInAs. Here, we characterized the selective-area growth of AlInAs NWs for the InGaAs/AlInAs NW RTFETs.AlxIn1-xAs NWs were grown by selective-area MOVPE. First, 20-nm-thick SiO2 film was formed on InP(111)B substrates by RF sputtering. Mask openings with various opening diameter (Dop: 50 - 160 nm) and pitch (Pop: 350 - 1000 nm) were formed using the electron beam lithography, dry and wet chemical etching. Next, AlxIn1-xAs was grown in a horizontal MOVPE systems with working pressure of 0.1 atm. Trimethylindium (TMIn), trimethylaluminum (TMAl), arsine (AsH3), and tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) were used as source precursors. The growth temperature (TG) were varied from 550°C to 650°C. Al composition PAl (PAl = [TMAl] / [TMIn]+[TMAl]) in the vapor phase was changed from 0 to 30%. The partial pressure V/III ratio and growth time (t) were constant (V/III: 411, t: 12 min).Figure 1 shows results of selective-area growth of AlInAs with various PAl. Figure 2 exhibits the TG dependence of the AlInAs growths at PAl = 30%. Pop was 350 nm. Figure 3 shows average height of the NWs with the variation of the NW diameter with respect to PAl [Fig.3(a)] and TG [Fig. 3(b)]. As shown in Fig.1, the NWs had hexagonal pillars surrounded with the {-110} vertical facets and the (111)B plane. The lateral over growth along the <-110> directions were enhanced with increasing the PAl, while vertical NW growth along the <111>B direction was suppressed. The volume of the NWs was also decreased as shown in Fig. 3 (a), meaning that Al atoms disturbed surface diffusion of In atoms on NW sidewalls and SiO2 mask. Since the In atoms rarely reach on the top of the (111)B plane of the NWs under high PAl, the volume of the NWs was decreased. Figure 2 indicated that some AlInAs abnormal deposition occurred on the SiO2 mask at TG = 620°C. In Fig. 3 (b), the volume of the NWs was decreased with increasing TG, and eventually {-110} vertical flat facets disappeared at TG = 650°C, as shown in Fig. 2. This was because that the desorption process of group-III atoms was dominant at high TG. Thus, the optimum TG window to suppress the lateral over growth was thought to be in between 620°C and 650°C at the PAl. After the growth, NWs were etched to characterize Dop and the lateral over growth rate. We determined the diameter difference between the average DNW and Dop as Δdiameter. Figure. 4 shows the Δdiameter as a function of PAl or TG (Pop = 350 nm). In Fig. 4(a), the Δdiameter was gradually increased with PAl,,and, especially, was rapidly enhanced at PAl = 30%, while the NW volume was decreased. This indicated that the Al atoms enhanced the absorption of In atoms on the {-110} sidewalls under higher PAl. In Fig. 4(b) at PAl = 30%, the lateral over growth rate was decreased with increasing TG. Simultaneously, the volume of the grown AlInAs was rapidly decreased. Similar properties were observed in case of PAl = 20%. This indicated that the desorption process became dominant at higher TG. Further characterization of the growth mechanism for the selective-area growth of AlInAs will be presented.

Controlling graphene work function by doping in a MOCVD reactor

Here we demonstrate a new method for doping graphene using Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) reactor. The original undoped graphene was of a very high quality mounted on Si/SiO2 substrates, they were then doped in the MOCVD's reactor using tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) and tertiarybutylarsene (TBA). Post process Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of a single layer of phosphor doped graphene (G/P) and Arsine doped graphene (G/As) when doped by TBP or by TBA, respectively. Blue shift of the 2D peak assured p-type doping. The work function determined by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy varied from 4.5 eV for Pristine Graphene to 4.7, 4.8 eV for G/As, G/P, respectively. The increase of the work function is attributed to electron transfer from the graphene to the dopant. Our results suggest that doping graphene by MOCVD with TBA or TBP can easily and effectively alternate the work function by few tenths of eV and improve the electronic properties of graphene. The MOCVD technology of doping graphene opens a new route on which other semiconductors can be epitaxially grown on it in a continues process in the same MOCVD reactor.

Growth of InGaAs(P) in planetary metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy reactor using tertiarybutylarsine and tertiarybutylphosphine for photovoltaic applications

The effects of wafer (surface) temperature on the surface morphologies of InP, InGaAsP, and InGaAs grown in a planetary metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) reactor using tertiarybutylarsine (TBA) and tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) as group V precursors were investigated. Compared with small horizontal reactors, InP growths require a relatively low temperature to prevent TBP predecomposition and parasitic gas-phase reactions. However, such a low temperature can prevent the surface migration of In adatoms and degrade surface morphology, especially when a substantial amount of Ga precursors is present. Hence, growths of InGaAs require a higher temperature than that of InP and InGaAsP. In this work, 1.04 eV In0.79Ga0.21As0.46P0.54 and 0.74 eV In0.53Ga0.47As single-junction cells as well as InGaAsP/InGaAs dual-junction solar cells have been successfully fabricated. The cell performances reveal that InGaAs layers grown at 590 °C exhibit great crystal quality, while 550-°C-grown InGaAsP layers contain a noticeable extent of defect density and lattice imperfection.

Thermally Introduced Bismuth Clustering in Ga(P,Bi) Layers under Group V Stabilised Conditions Investigated by Atomic Resolution In Situ (S)TEM

We report the formation of Bi clusters in Ga(P1-x,Bix) layers during an in situ (scanning) transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM) annealing investigation. The non-destructive temperature regime in dependence on the tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) pressure in the in situ cell was investigated to ensure that the results are not distorted by any destructive behaviour of the crystal during the thermal treatment. The following annealing series of the Ga(P92.6Bi7.4) and Ga(P96.4Bi3.6) layers reveals that the threshold temperature at which the Bi clustering takes place is 600 °C in the Ga(P92.6Bi7.4) layer. Further thermal treatments up to 750 °C show a relationship between the Bi fraction in the Ga(P1-x,Bix) layer and the initial temperature at which the Bi clustering takes place. Finally, we investigate one Bi cluster at atomic resolution conditions. In these conditions, we found that the Bi cluster crystallized in a rhombohedral phase, aligning with its {101} planes parallel to the Ga(P,Bi) {202} planes.

In Situ Thermal Annealing Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) Investigation of III/V Semiconductor Heterostructures Using a Setup for Safe Usage of Toxic and Pyrophoric Gases.

In this study we compare two thermal annealing series of III/V semiconductor heterostructures on Si, where during the first series nitrogen is present in the in situ holder. The second, comparative, measurement is done in a tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) environment. The sample annealed in a TBP environment shows favorable thermal stability up to 500°C compared to the unstabilized sample, which begins to degrade at less than 300°C. Evaporation of P from the material is tracked qualitatively by measuring the thickness of the sample during thermal annealing with and without stabilization. Finally, we investigate the in situ thermal annealing processes at atomic resolution. Here it is possible to study phase separation as well as the diffusion of As from a Ga(NAsP) quantum well in the surrounding GaP material during thermal annealing. To make these investigations possible we developed an extension for our in situ transmission electron microscopy setup for the safe usage of toxic and pyrophoric III/V semiconductor precursors. A commercially available gas cell and gas supply system were expanded with a gas mixing system, an appropriate toxic gas monitoring system and a gas scrubbing system. These components allow in situ studies of semiconductor growth and annealing under the purity conditions required for these materials.

In situ preparation of Si p-n junctions and subsequent surface preparation for III-V heteroepitaxy in MOCVD ambient

III-V integration on active Si-bottom cells promises not only high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells but also lower production costs. In situ preparation of an adequate Si p-n junction in metalorganic chemical vapor deposition ambient is challenging, particularly since the final Si surface should be atomically well-ordered to enable low-defect III-V nucleation. Precisely, a single-domain Si(100) surface with double layer steps needs to be prepared in order to suppress antiphase disorder in subsequently grown III-V layer structures on top of the Si p-n junction. We first investigate the formation of a n+-type collector in Si(100) as a result of annealing in tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) or tertiarybutylarsine (TBAs) ambient. We illustrate how the n-type doping concentrations and their depth profiles depend on the essential preparation parameters, such as precursor partial pressures, exposure and annealing time, as well as reactor pressure. Subsequently, by applying in situ reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy, we find that exposure of Si(100) to TBP or TBAs leads to atomic disorder on the surface. Further, we apply an additional annealing step without precursor supply leading to predominantly (1×2) reconstructed Si(100) surfaces, which are suitable for subsequent low-defect III-V growth.

Growth of defect-free GaP nanowires

The crystal structure of GaP nanowires grown by Au-assisted chemical beam epitaxy was investigated as a function of group V flux and growth temperature. By increasing the tertiarybutyl phosphine flux we obtained nanowires with a stacking defect-free wurtzite crystal structure. Variation of growth temperature also had a profound impact on the crystal structure. Lowering the growth temperature from 600 to 560 °C and keeping constant both triethylgallium and tertiarybutyl phosphine precursor fluxes, the crystal structure of GaP NWs was drastically improved from a highly defective intergrowth of zinc-blende and wurtzite to a wurtzite crystal structure free of stacking defects. These results are compared to current literature on GaP NW growth, and we suggest that the low V/III ratio is the key ingredient for the high crystal quality of our GaP nanowires.

In situ study of Ge(100) surfaces with tertiarybutylphosphine supply in vapor phase epitaxy ambient

GaInP nucleation on Ge(100) often starts by annealing of the Ge(100) substrates under supply of phosphorus precursors. However, the influence on the Ge surface is not well understood. Here, we studied vicinal Ge(100) surfaces annealed under tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) supply in MOVPE by in situ reflection anisotropy spectroscopy (RAS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). While XPS reveals a P termination and the presence of carbon on the Ge surface, LEED patterns indicate a disordered surface probably due to by-products of the TBP pyrolysis. However, the TBP annealed Ge(100) surface exhibits a characteristic RA spectrum, which is related to the P termination. RAS allows us to in situ control phosphorus desorption dependent on temperature.

Control of In Surface Segregation and Inter-Diffusion in GaAs on InGaP Grown by Metal–Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy

In order to fabricate abrupt heterointerfaces of the GaAs/InGaP system by metal–organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE), we studied the In atom distribution by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The systematic XPS depth profile analyses revealed that the InGaP surface contains an excess amount of In atoms owing to surface segregation. The excess In atoms diffuse into the GaAs layer and cause compositional mixing at the interface of GaAs on InGaP. In order to suppress the interdiffusion and surface segregation of In atoms into GaAs on InGaP, we have developed a novel gas switching sequence for growing GaAs on InGaP. That is, after the growth of InGaP, only tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) was introduced, and after stopping the supply of TBP, trimethylgallium (TMGa) was pre-introduced to the reactor before the growth of GaAs. Then tertiarybutylarsine (TBAs) was allowed to flow to initiate GaAs growth. This novel gas switching sequence contributed to the formation of abrupt heterointerfaces of GaAs on InGaP.

Coalescence of InP Epitaxial Lateral Overgrowth by MOVPE with V/III Ratio Variation

The effects of V/III ratio and seed window orientation on the coalescence of epitaxial lateral overgrowth InP over SiO2 using metal organic vapor-phase epitaxy with tertiary butyl phosphine were investigated. Parallel lines having θ = 60° and 30° off [0\( \bar{1} \)1] were coalesced, and their lateral growth rate variation with V/III was measured. Coalescence of lines separated by narrow angles in a star-like pattern was also studied. We find the greatest extent of coalescence to occur when the window stripe is oriented just off of the ⟨010⟩ directions. V/III ratio strongly affects the extent of coalescence, showing an alternating enhancement or inhibition depending on which side of the ⟨010⟩ direction the stripes are oriented. The variation in quality of coalesced material between stripes separated by narrow angles is examined with cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, illustrating the most problematic growth directions under two V/III ratio conditions.

TBP를 이용한 InP 에피층의 MOVPE 성장

TBP (tertiarybutylphosphine), a relatively new material for phosphorus, has been studied with EDMIn (ethyldimethylindium) as an indium source for the growth of InP by MOVPE (metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy). Mirror smooth and good crystalline InP layers were obtained at <TEX>$500-600^{\circ}C$</TEX> with the TBP/EDMIn molar ratio as low as 21. The deposited InP layers are all n-type with the electron concentration in the range of (5-10)<TEX>${\times}10^{16}\;cm^{-3}$</TEX>, which is a lot higher than those from <TEX>$PH_3$</TEX>. This high concentration is due presumably to the high concentration of donor impurities in TBP. And it has been found that the formation of adduct occurs between EDMIn and TBP at room temperature when the partial pressure of EDMIn in the reactant mixture is above <TEX>$1{\times}10^{-2}$</TEX> Torr. The high concentration of impurities in TBP and the adduct formation between EDMIn and TBP are major obstacles in replacing <TEX>$PH_3$</TEX> and TMIn for the growth of device quality InP layers.

Initial growth of InAs on P-terminated Si(1 1 1) surfaces to promote uniform lateral growth of InGaAs micro-discs on patterned Si

We have investigated the initial growth of InAs on Si(1 1 1) substrates produced with metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) and using micro-channel selective area growth (MC-SAG). Treatment of the Si surface prior to InAs growth is essential in order to achieve high-yield nucleation of a single island in each growth area. A breakthrough for successful nucleation was the use of tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) pre-flow. We have analyzed the effect of such surface pretreatment in terms of the shape of InAs islands at the initial stage of growth and the incubation period between the supply of the indium source and the nucleation, the latter data being obtained by means of in situ surface reflectivity measurement. XPS analyses confirmed that the TBP and tertiarybutylarsine (TBAs) pre-flow introduced, respectively, P and As on the Si surfaces resulting in a change in surface energy. The surface with As exhibited a larger surface energy and shorter incubation period, which are preferable for better nucleation. The coverage of As on the surface, however, appeared less reliable than that of P, i.e., pre-flow with TBP was superior to pre-flow with TBAs in terms of uniformity of surface coverage. This finding is useful for achieving high-yield nucleation in small growth openings in MC-SAG.

Influence of tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) addition on the CVD growth of diamond

AbstractUnderstanding the growth mechanisms of phosphorus‐doped diamond is an important issue for the fabrication of n‐type diamond. In this work, the influence of the addition of phosphorus precursor, tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP), on diamond growth mechanism, is investigated. Isolated diamond crystallites and polycrystalline diamond films were grown on silicon substrates by microwave plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition (CVD). The growth rate anisotropy is deduced by measuring the facet sizes of crystallites observed in a scanning electron microscope. We show that a small amount of TBP added during diamond growth, has a strong impact on the growth rate anisotropy and on the secondary nucleation. We also show that phosphorus is incorporated in polycrystalline diamond films as observed by secondary ion mass spectrometry.

Self-Assembled Growth and Characterization of MnxP Nanowires

MnP nanowires have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) without any preliminary deposited metal catalyst on InP(100) and GaAs(111)B substrates. Mn was supplied using a conventional Knudsen cell, whereas P2 was supplied as a gas by the decomposition of tertiary butylphosphine (TBP) using a cracking cell. The self-assembled growth of nanowires was observed when the substrate temperature exceeded 430 °C. Nanowires obtained on the InP(100) surface had diameters close to 150 nm, lengths of up to 2 µm, whereas nanowires grown on the GaAs(111)B surface had widths of up to 600 nm, lengths of up to 30 µm, and clear atomic facets. Magnetic and optical characterizations were also carried out.

Determination of the valence band offset of MOVPE-grownIn0.48Ga0.52P∕GaAsmultiple quantum wells by admittance spectroscopy

The valence band discontinuity of the lattice matched ${\mathrm{In}}_{0.48}{\mathrm{Ga}}_{0.52}\mathrm{P}∕\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{As}$ heterostructure was determined through a careful analysis of the temperature and frequency dependence of the admittance of ${p}^{+}∕\mathrm{MQW}∕{n}^{+}$ structures, formed by a nominally undoped $\mathrm{In}\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{P}∕\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{As}$ multiple quantum well region, interposed between ${p}^{+}$ and ${n}^{+}$ GaAs layers. The heterostructures were grown through metal organic vapor phase epitaxy by using tertiary butyl arsine and tertiary butyl phosphine as alternative precursors for the V-group elements. The growth conditions were optimized for obtaining sharp interfaces and negligible ordering effects in the cation sublattice. Accounting for the temperature dependence of the Fermi energy and the calculated confining energy $(10\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV})$ of the heavy holes in the wells, a valence band offset $\ensuremath{\Delta}{E}_{V}=(356\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5)\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV}$ was derived from the temperature variation of the resonance frequency at which the isothermal conductance over frequency $G(\ensuremath{\omega})∕\ensuremath{\omega}$ curves show a maximum. The experimental uncertainty of this result is significantly low if compared with the wide range $(240--400\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV})$ of the previously reported $\ensuremath{\Delta}{E}_{V}$ values. By considering the band gap difference between InGaP and GaAs, a conduction band offset $\ensuremath{\Delta}{E}_{C}=119\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV}$ was estimated. The accuracy of the experimental procedure and the reliability of the main assumptions of the admittance spectroscopy measurements were accurately checked. The obtained results were discussed in light of the large and growing amount of literature data by taking into account the influence of the growth conditions on the physical properties of the $\mathrm{In}\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{P}∕\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{As}$ quantum wells.

Temperature and injection current dependent electroluminescence study of GaInP/AlGaInP quantum well laser diode grown using tertiarybutylarsine and tertiarybutylphosphine

GaInP/AlGaInP triple quantum well (TQW) lasers, grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) using tertiarybutylarsine (TBAs) and tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP), were fabricated with a pulsed anodic oxidation (PAO) process. The devices worked at room temperature (RT) with the lowest threshold current density (Jth) of 1.5 kA/cm2 ever reported for GaInP/AlGaInP lasers grown using TBAs and TBP. Temperature dependent (35–250 K) electroluminescence (EL) study of the GaInP/AlGaInP laser diode showed almost the same luminescence quenching behavior at a high temperature region (120–250 K), independent of the injection current (100–150 mA). A model involving a nonradiative recombination mechanism was presented to interpret the EL quenching behavior over the experimental temperature range. The nonradiative recombination centers in the Al-containing barrier or cladding layer are believed to contribute to the loss of carriers via nonradiative recombination.