Investigation of the growth temperature on indium diffusion in InGaAs/GaAsP multiple quantum wells and photoelectric properties

Abstract

InGaAs/GaAsP multiple quantum wells (MQWs) structures were grown by metal–organic chemical vapor deposition and the effect of the growth temperature on the interfacial crystal quality was characterized by high-resolution X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence. The surface roughness of MQWs was measured by atomic force microscopy for evaluating the surface quality. The existence of an indium diffusion zone (InGaAsP) between InGaAs and GaAsP was demonstrated by secondary ion mass spectrometry profiles in the growth direction. The results suggest the different diffusion widths originate from the growth temperature variation. A smoother surface and higher quality interface of MQWs was obtained at 650 °C growth temperature. Furthermore, the phenomena of current self-oscillations were confirmed through current–voltage measurements at room temperature, which can be attributed to the negative differential resistance effect. The influence of the growth temperature on the crystal quality of InGaAs/GaAsP MQWs was used for the optimization of technological parameters.