Zinc diffusion in InAsP/InGaAs heterostructures

A systematic study of the sealed ampoule diffusion of zinc into epitaxially grown InP, In_0.53Ga_0.47As, In_0.70Ga_0.30As, In_0.82Ga_0.18As, and through the InAsP/InGaAs interface is presented. Diffusion depths were measured using cleave-and-stain techniques, electrochemical profiling, and secondary ion mass spectroscopy. The diffusion coefficients, , were derived. For InP, D₀=4.82 × 10⁻²cm²/sec and E_a=1.63 eV and for In_0.53Ga_0.47As, D₀=2.02 × 10⁴cm²/sec and E_a=2.63 eV. Diffusion into the heteroepitaxial structures used in the fabrication of planar PIN photodiodes is dominated by the effects of the InP/InGaAs interface.