E. D. Jones

InGaAsN solar cells with 1.0 eV band gap, lattice matched to GaAs

The design, growth by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, and processing of an In{sub 0.07}Ga{sub 0.93}As{sub 0.98}N{sub 0.02} solar Al, with 1.0 ev bandgap, lattice matched to GaAs is described. The hole diffusion length in annealed, n-type InGaAsN is 0.6-0.8 pm, and solar cell internal quantum efficiencies > 70% arc obwined. Optical studies indicate that defects or impurities, from InGAsN doping and nitrogen incorporation, limit solar cell performance.

Highly dispersive photonic band-gap prism

We propose the concept of a photonic band-gap (PBG) prism based on two-dimensional PBG structures and realize it in the millimeter-wave spectral regime. We recognize the highly nonlinear dispersion of PBG materials near Brillouin zone edges and utilize the dispersion to achieve strong prism action. Such a PBG prism is very compact if operated in the optical regime, ~20 mm in size for lambda ~ 700 nm, and can serve as a dispersive element for building ultracompact miniature spectrometers.

Minority carrier diffusion, defects, and localization in InGaAsN, with 2% nitrogen

Electron and hole transport in compensated, InGaAsN ({approx} 2% N) are examined through Hall mobility, photoconductivity, and solar cell photoresponse measurements. Short minority carrier diffusion lengths, photoconductive-response spectra, and doping dependent, thermally activated Hall mobilities reveal a broad distribution of localized states. At this stage of development, lateral carrier transport appears to be limited by large scale (>> mean free path) material inhomogeneities, not a random alloy-induced mobility edge.

Deep Levels in p-Type InGaAsN Lattice Matched to GaAs

Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) measurements were utilized to investigate deep level defects in metal-organic chemical deposition (MOCVD)-grown unintentionally doped p-type InGaAsN films lattice matched to GaAs. The as-grown material displayed a high concentration of deep levels distributed within the bandgap, with a dominant hole trap at E{sub v} + 0.10 eV. Post-growth annealing simplified the deep level spectra, enabling the identification of three distinct hole traps at 0.10 eV, 0.23 eV, and 0.48 eV above the valence band edge, with concentrations of 3.5 x 10{sup 14} cm{sup {minus}3}, 3.8 x 10{sup 14} cm{sup {minus}3}, and 8.2 x 10{sup 14} cm{sup {minus}3}, respectively. A direct comparison between the as-grown and annealed spectra revealed the presence of an additional midgap hole trap, with a concentration of 4 x 10{sup 14} cm{sup {minus}3} in the as-grown material. The concentration of this trap is sharply reduced by annealing, which correlates with improved material quality and minority carrier properties after annealing. Of the four hole traps detected, only the 0.48 eV level is not influenced by annealing, suggesting this level may be important for processed InGaAsN devices in the future.

Minority carrier diffusion and defects in InGaAsN grown by molecular beam epitaxy

To gain insight into the nitrogen-related defects of InGaAsN, nitrogen vibrational mode spectra, Hall mobilities, and minority carrier diffusion lengths are examined for InGaAsN (1.1 eV band gap) grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Annealing promotes the formation of In–N bonding, and lateral carrier transport is limited by large scale (≫mean free path) material inhomogeneities. Comparing solar cell quantum efficiencies with our earlier results for devices grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), we find significant electron diffusion in the MBE material (reversed from the hole diffusion in MOCVD material), and minority carrier diffusion in InGaAsN cannot be explained by a “universal,” nitrogen-related defect.

Stimulated Raman spectroscopy using low-power cw lasers

It is demonstrated that stimulated Raman spectroscopy (SRS) can be performed using cw dye lasers at power levels over six orders of magnitude smaller than those generally associated with pulsed stimulated Raman studies. The preliminary results suggest that cw SRS is a potentially powerful alternative to conventional spontaneous Raman scattering, with resolution limited solely by laser linewidth and sensitivity independent of resolution requirements.

Time-resolved photoluminescence studies of InxGa1−xAs1−yNy

Time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy has been used to investigate carrier decay dynamics in a InxGa1−xAs1−yNy (x∼0.03, y∼0.01) epilayer grown on GaAs by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) measurements, performed for various excitation intensities and sample temperatures, indicate that the broad PL emission at low temperature is dominated by localized exciton recombination. Lifetimes in the range of 0.07–0.34 ns are measured; these photoluminescence lifetimes are significantly shorter than corresponding values obtained for GaAs. In particular, we observe an emission energy dependence of the decay lifetime at 10 K, whereby the lifetime decreases with increasing emission energy across the PL spectrum. This behavior is characteristic of a distribution of localized states, which arises from alloy fluctuations.Time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy has been used to investigate carrier decay dynamics in a In{sub x}Ga{sub 1{minus}x}As{sub 1{minus}y}N{sub y} (x {approximately} 0.03, y {approximately} 0.01) epilayer grown on GaAs by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) measurements, performed for various excitation intensities and sample temperatures, indicate that the broad PL emission at low temperature is dominated by localized exciton recombination. Lifetimes in the range of 0.07--0.34 ns are measured; these photoluminescence lifetimes are significantly shorter than corresponding values obtained for GaAs. In particular, the authors observe an emission energy dependence of the decay lifetime at 10 K, whereby the lifetime decreases with increasing emission energy across the PL spectrum. This behavior is characteristic of a distribution of localized states, which arises from alloy fluctuations.

Laser Gain and Threshold Properties in Compressive-Strained and Lattice-Matched GaInNAs/GaAs Quantum Wells

The optical gain spectra for compressive-strained and lattice-matched GaInNAs/GaAs quantum wells are computed using a microscopic laser theory. From these spectra, the peak gain and carrier radiative decay rate as functions of carrier density are determined. These dependences allow the study of lasing threshold current density for different GaInNAs/GaAs laser structures.

Stability of strained quantum-well field-effect transistor structures

Conditions for stability of strained-layer structures and their implications for device fabrication are examined. Structures which have exhibited the best performance to date are found to be thermodynamically metastable (or at best marginally stable) structures, which will restrict the processing steps permissible in the integration of these devices to form complex circuits.<<ETX>>

Microstructures of (In,Ga)P alloys grown on GaAs by metalorganic vapor‐phase epitaxy

The microstructures of metalorganic vapor‐phase epitaxy alloys of (In,Ga)P grown on GaAs substrates were examined using transmission electron microscopy. Alloys examined were grown at 600–775 °C on substrates at or near (001) or (113)A using growth rates of 0.69 and 0.17 nm/s. Two common semiconductor alloy phenomenon, ordering and phase separation, were studied over this range of growth conditions. The CuPt‐type ordering reflections are sharpest for growth at 675 °C and more diffuse at 600 and 725 °C due to higher densities of antiphase boundaries. Order can be eliminated by growth at 750 °C or above to obtain the highest band gaps and optical emission energies. Detailed investigation of the microstructure for growth at 675 °C indicates that ordered domains are platelets consisting of thin (1–2 nm) lamella on (001) planes that alternate between the two {111}B ordering variants, in agreement with a model proposed by others. We have formed ‘‘unicompositional’’ quantum wells with sharply defined ordered lay...