Li-Chung Wei

Molecular beam epitaxy growth of GaAsN layers with high luminescence efficiency

(In)GaAsN bulk layers and quantum wells usually demonstrate lower photoluminescence intensity than the nitrogen-free compositions. In the present work we have carefully optimized both conductance and operation of a nitrogen plasma source as well as growth parameters of GaAsN layers. We found conditions when incorporation of nitrogen did not lead to formation of additional nonradiative recombination. There is some minimum growth rate to obtain good crystal and optical quality of GaAsN. At growth rates below this value the pattern of reflection high energy electron diffraction turns spotty and the growth proceeds in a three-dimensional mode. This leads to a steep decrease in luminescence efficiency of the grown layer. The minimum value of growth rate depends on nitrogen content and growth temperature. Defects caused by low temperature growth are removed by post-growth annealing. We achieved the same radiative efficiency of GaAsN samples with nitrogen content up to about 1.5% grown at 520 °C as that of a reference layer of GaAs grown at 600 °C. Compositional fluctuation in the GaAsN layers leads to the S-shape temperature dependence of photoluminescence peak position. Post-growth annealing reduces compositional fluctuation.

MBE growth of high-quality GaAsN bulk layers

We have studied the correlation between nitrogen composition of bulk GaAsN layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy using rf plasma cell and photoluminescence (PL) intensity. We have carried out careful optimization of the plasma cell aperture layout and plasma operation regimes as well as the growth condition of the GaAsN. We have demonstrated the same efficiency of PL from GaAsN layers with up to 1.5% of nitrogen as for GaAs analogues grown at the same temperature. The integrated PL intensity of the sample containing 2.5% drops only three times. Using post-growth annealing we eliminated defects related to low-temperature growth and thereby achieved the same radiative efficiency for GaAsN samples grown at 520 °C as for the reference layer of GaAs grown at 600 °C.

High power lasers based on submonolayer InAs–GaAs quantum dots and InGaAs quantum wells

Broad area lasers based on InAs-GaAs quantum dots formed by submonolayer deposition were fabricated. High modal gain of submonolayer quantum dots permits the use of broad-waveguide and highly doped design. Continuous wave output power of 6 W limited by mirror damage and conversion efficiency of 58% were demonstrated at 20 °C. The characteristic temperature of 150 K was achieved.

Characterization of self-assembled InAs quantum dots with InAlAs∕InGaAs strain-reduced layers by photoluminescence spectroscopy

The optoelectronic characteristics of self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) with strain-reduced layers (SRLs) were investigated using photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Various SRLs that combine In0.14Al0.86As and In0.14Ga0.86As with the same total thickness were examined to ascertain their confining effect on carriers in InAs QDs. The emission wavelength is blueshifted as the thickness of InAlAs is increased. The energy separation between the ground state and the first excited state of QDs with InAlAs SRLs greatly exceeds that of QDs with InGaAs SRLs. Atomic force microscopic images and PL spectra of the QD samples demonstrated that high-quality InAs QDs with long emission wavelengths and a large energy separation can be generated by growing a low-temperature, thin InAlAs SRL onto self-assembled QDs.

Surface photovoltage spectroscopy and photoluminescence study of vertically stacked self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots

We present a study of two 30-layer stacks of self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots with different spacer layer (SL) thickness using surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS) and photoluminescence (PL) at room temperature. Both PL and SPS spectra of stacked QDs structure with a thinner spacer layer in comparison to other structures show additional feature. QD features are more clearly visible in SPS spectra and show more features in comparison to PL ones. This study demonstrates the considerable potential of SPS and PL for the contactless and nondestructive characterization of QDs structures at room temperature.

Characteristics of InGa(N)As VCSELs for fiber optic applications

We report our results on InGaNAs/GaAs vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) for fiber-optic applications in the 1.3 μm range. The epitaxial structures were grown on (100) GaAs substrates by MBE or MOCVD. The nitrogen composition of the InGaNAs/GaAs quantum-well (QW) active region is 0 to 0.02. Long-wavelength (up to 1.3 μm) room-temperature continuous-wave (RT CW) lasing operation was achieved for MBE and MOCVD-grown VCELs. For MOCVD-grown devices with n- and p-doped distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs), a maximum optical output power of 0.74 mW was measured for In0.36Ga0.64N0.006As0.994/GaAs VCSELs. The MBE-grown devices were made with intracavity structure. Top-emitting multi-mode 1.3 μm In0.35Ga0.65N0.02As0.98/GaAs VCSELs with 1mW output power have been achieved under RT CW operation. Emission characteristics of InGaNAs/GaAs VCSELs were measured and analyzed.

Wavelength of emission from InGaAsN quantum wells as a function of composition of the quaternary compound

The spectral position of the peak of photoluminescence from an InGaAsN quantum well has been studied as a function of the chemical composition of the quaternary compound. An empirical equation is proposed which describes with good precision the experimentally observed dependences and allows prediction of the composition necessary to obtain a required wavelength.

Effect of carrier localization on the optical properties of MBE-grown GaAsN/GaAs heterostructures

The optical properties of GaAsN/GaAs heterostructures grown by molecular-beam epitaxy with different nitrogen content in the layers have been studied. The optical properties of GaAsN layers in the growth conditions under study are defined by the carrier recombination via localized states related to a strong composition inhomogeneity in the solid solution. The increasing of the nitrogen content raises the composition inhomogeneity and the carrier localization energy.

Quantum-dot-like composition fluctuations in near-field magneto-photoluminescence spectra of InGaAsN alloys

A series of narrow emission lines (halfwidth 0.5 - 2 meV) corresponding to quantum-dot-like compositional fluctuations have been observed in low temperature near-field photoluminescence spectra of GaAsN and InGaAsN alloys. The estimation of the size, density, and nitrogen excess of individual compositional fluctuations (clusters) using scanning near-field magneto-spectroscopy reveals phase-separation effects in the distribution of nitrogen. We found a strong effect of In on the exciton g-factor in InGaAsN alloys.

Long-wavelength VCSEL devices on GaAs substrates

Two approaches to realize the VCSEL devices based on GaAs substrates are investigated. The first approach utilizes InGaAs quantum wells with dilute nitride to extend the bandgap toward long wavelenegth. The second approach utilizes InAs/InGaAs quantum dots based on Stranski and Krastanov growth mode with confinement and strain combined to adjust the bandgap to 1.3 μm wavelength. High quality epitaxial layers with low threshold have been achieved with MBE and MOCVD. VCSEL performances that have been achieved are: Multimode operation at 1.303 μm with slope efficiency of 0.15 W/A (0.2 W/A), and maximum power of 1 mW (4 mW) for room temperature CW (pulse) operation have been achieved with MBE-grown In GaAaN active regions. Room temperature, CW single mode operation with SMSR > 40 dB at 1.303 μm has also been achieved with a slope efficiency of 0.17 W/A and maximum power of 0.75 mW also with MBE-grown InGaAaN active regions. In addition, MOCVD grown has also achieved a performance at 1.29 μm with slope efficiency, 0.066 W/A, and maximum power, 0.55 mW. VCSELs with 9 layers of quantum dots and all-semiconductor DBRs also achieved lasing at 1.3 μm.