PbTe/Te superlattice structures with enhanced thermoelectric figures of merit

The thermoelectric properties of PbTe/Te superlattice structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy have been investigated. The in-plane Seebeck coefficient, Hall coefficient, and electrical resistivity have been measured at 300K. The data show that a significant enhancement of the in-plane Seebeck coefficient, thermoelectric power factor and figure of merit has been achieved.     

Cadmium diffusion studies of PbTe and Pb1−xSnxTe crystals

Hall-effect, conductivity and solubility measurements were carried out on Cd-diffused PbTe and Pb_1−xSn_xTe. Our results show that the Cd solubility in the crystals is independent of the tin mole fraction. The data, examined in view of both Cd solubility and the influence of Cd upon the transport properties at 4.2K, indicate that after the metal vacancy sites become fully compensated by the Cd atoms most of the Cd distributes uniformly as an electrically inactive impurity in the crystal lattice. Saturation in electron concentration, which was observed at high Cd solubilities, provided a measure of the excess ionized metal point-defect concentration generated in the crystals during the growth process. The product of the concentrations of the excess metal and excess Te native point defects of the as-grown Pb_1−xSn_xTe was found to be practically constant for tin mole fractions 0≼x≼0.25, indicating that the equilibrium point defect constant is independent of the tin content. This work forms part of a thesis to be submitted by E. Silberg to the Weizmann Institute of Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree.     

Electrical properties of indium-doped LPE layers of Pb1−xSnx Te

Liquid-phase epitaxial (LPE) layers of Pb_1−xSn_xTe with an alloy composition 0≤×≤0.25 were doped n-type by adding from 0.002 to 10 at.% indium to the growth solution. Doping characteristics of indium and electrical properties of the epilayers at 77 and 4.2K were studied by Hall and resistivity measurements made directly on the grown layers. Electron concentration and mobility at 77 and 4.2K are presented as a function of indium doping for various x values. Doping coefficients of ~0.05 and ~0.03 are found for PbTe and Pb_0.8Sn_0.2Te, respectively, grown at ~450°C. For medium to high indium doping, the electron concentration saturates to a constant value independent of doping and LPE growth temperature. The saturation values decrease substantially with increasing x and increase with a decrease in sample temperature. Bulklike mobilities practically independent of doping are recorded up to an indium concentration N_ln~0.3 at.%, above which the mobility decreases with increasing indium concentration. The data shows that indium is a suitable donor in liquid-phase epitaxial layers of Pb_l-XSn_xTe.     

Valence band offset in HgTe/Hg1−xCdxTe superlattices

The valence band offset (Λ) between HgTe and CdTe has been determined by means of an optical investigation of (112)B oriented HgTe/Hg_1−xCd_xTe superlattices. Based on the fact that the difference in energy between the first heavy hole and the first light hole subband is to a good approximation due primarily to Λ, it has been shown that Λ=580±40 meV at 5K. In addition Λ has a significant temperature dependence with a linear coefficient of −0.34±0.02 meV/K, i.e., Λ is 480±40 meV at room temperature.     

1/f noise in large-area Hg<Subscript>1−x</Subscript>Cd<Subscript>x</Subscript>Te photodiodes

The 1/f noise in photovoltaic (PV) molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE)-grown Hg_1−xCd_xTe double-layer planar heterostructure (DLPH) large-area detectors is a critical noise component with the potential to limit sensitivity of the cross-track infrared sounder (CrIS) instrument. Therefore, an understanding of the origins and mechanisms of noise currents in these PV detectors is of great importance. Excess low-frequency noise has been measured on a number of 1000-μm-diameter active-area detectors of varying “quality” (i.e., having a wide range of I-V characteristics at 78 K). The 1/f noise was measured as a function of cut-off wavelength under illuminated conditions. For short-wave infrared (SWIR) detectors at 98 K, minimal 1/f noise was measured when the total current was dominated by diffusion with white noise spectral density in the mid-10⁻¹⁵A/Hz^1/2 range. For SWIR detectors dominated by other than diffusion current, the ratio, α, of the noise current in unit bandwidth i_n(f = 1 Hz, V_d = −60 mV, and Δf = 1 Hz) to dark current I_d(V_d = −60 mV) was α_SW-d = i_n/I_d ∼ 1 × 10⁻³. The SWIR detectors measured at 0 mV under illuminated conditions had median α_SW-P = i_n/I_ph ∼ 7 × 10⁻⁶. For mid-wave infrared (MWIR) detectors, α_MW-d = i_n/I_d ∼ 2 × 10⁻⁴, due to tunneling current contributions to the 1/f noise. Measurements on forty-nine 1000-μm-diameter MWIR detectors under illuminated conditions at 98 K and −60 mV bias resulted in α_MW-P = i_n/I_ph = 4.16 ± 1.69 × 10⁻⁶. A significant point to note is that the photo-induced noise spectra are nearly identical at 0 mV and 100 mV reverse bias, with a noise-current-to-photocurrent ratio, α_MW-P, in the mid 10⁻⁶ range. For long-wave infrared (LWIR) detectors measured at 78 K, the ratio, α_LW-d = i_n/I_d ∼ 6 × 10⁻⁶, for the best performers. The majority of the LWIR detectors exhibited α_LW-d on the order of 2 × 10⁻⁵. The photo-induced 1/f noise had α_LW-P = i_n/I_ph ∼ 5 × 10⁻⁶. The value of the noise-current-to-dark-current ratio, α appears to increase with increasing bandgap. It is not clear if this is due to different current mechanisms impacting 1/f noise performance. Measurements on detectors of different bandgaps are needed at temperatures where diffusion current is the dominant current. Excess low-frequency noise measurements made as a function of detector reverse bias indicate 1/f noise may result primarily from the dominant current mechanism at each particular bias. The 1/f noise was not a direct function of the applied bias.     

Liquid phase epitaxial growth and assessment of Pb1−xSn x Te alloys

The liquid-phase epitaxial growth of Pb_1−xSn_x Te on PbTe (100) substrates has been investigated over a range of growth temperatures from 600-400°C, and has been found to produce material with good uniformity and reproducibility of carrier concen-tration and alloy composition. The assessment of the epitaxial layers by such techniques as x-ray diffraction, dislocation etching and thermo-electric power measurements is described. Various features of the epitaxial layers such as interface irregularity, dislocation and diffusion effects are discussed, and likely mechanisms for their existence are proposed. The hole concentrations of the epitaxial layers, obtained by thermoelectric power measurements, are shown to have a similar dependence on preparation temperature as for bulk annealed material, suggesting that native defects are the dominant source of carriers above~ 2×10* cm^-3.     

Errata

The liquid-phase epitaxial growth of Pb_1−xSn_x Te on PbTe (100) substrates has been investigated over a range of growth temperatures from 600-400°C, and has been found to produce material with good uniformity and reproducibility of carrier concen-tration and alloy composition. The assessment of the epitaxial layers by such techniques as x-ray diffraction, dislocation etching and thermo-electric power measurements is described. Various features of the epitaxial layers such as interface irregularity, dislocation and diffusion effects are discussed, and likely mechanisms for their existence are proposed. The hole concentrations of the epitaxial layers, obtained by thermoelectric power measurements, are shown to have a similar dependence on preparation temperature as for bulk annealed material, suggesting that native defects are the dominant source of carriers above~ 2×10* cm^-3. The online version of the original article can be found at     

Growth of GaAs1−xPx/GaAs and InAsxP1−x/InP strained quantum wells for optoelectronic devices by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy

In this paper we show that pseudomorphically strained heterostructures of InAs _x P_1−x /InP may be an alternative to lattice-matched heterostructures of In_1−x Ga _x As _y P_1−y /InP for optoelectronic applications. We first studied the group-V composition control in the gas-source molecular beam epitaxy (GSMBE) of the GaAs_1-x P _x /GaAs system. Then we studied GSMBE of strained InAs _x P_1−x /InP multiple quantum wells with the ternary well layer in the composition range 0.15 <x < 0.75. Structural and optical properties were characterized by high-resolution x-ray rocking curves, transmission electron microscopy, absorption and low-temperature photoluminescence measurements. High-quality multiple-quantum-well structures were obtained even for highly strained (up to 2.5%) samples. The achievement of sharp excitonic absorptions at 1.06, 1.3 and 1.55μm at room temperature from InAs _x P_1−x /InP quantum wells suggests the possibility of long-wavelength optoelectronic applications.     

The indices of refraction of molecular-beam epitaxy-grown Be<Subscript>x</Subscript>Zn<Subscript>1−x</Subscript>Te ternary alloys

We have used a combination of prism-coupling, reflectivity, and ellipsometric techniques to investigate the indices of refraction, n, of a series of Be_xZn_1−xTe thin films grown on InP substrates. After determining the concentrations of each of the Be_xZn_1−xTe alloys using x-ray diffraction measurements, we measured their n at discrete wavelengths using a prism-coupler setup. In addition, we used reflectivity measurements to complement the prism-coupler data and arrive at the dispersion relations of n for the Be_xZn_1−xTe alloys below their fundamental energy gaps. We then employed a rotating analyzer-spectroscopic ellipsometer to measure the complex reflection ratio for each of the films at angles of incidence of 65°, 70°, and 75°. By using the n values obtained from both the prism-coupler and the reflection-spectroscopy techniques to guide the ellipsometric analysis, we were able to obtain accurate results for the dispersion of n for the Be_xZn_1−xTe alloys, not only below their fundamental energy gaps, but also above their energy gaps (up to 6.5 eV) using these three complementary techniques.     

Rapid thermal annealing effects on the photoluminescence properties of molecular beam epitaxy-grown GaIn(N)As quantum wells with Ga(N)As spacers and barriers

This article describes the effects of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on the photoluminescence (PL) emission from a series of GaIn(N)As quantum wells. Indium compositions of both 20% and 32% were examined with nominal N compositions of 1% or 2%. The N location was varied within our quantum structure, which can be divided into three regions: (1) quantum well, (2) Ga(N)As spacer layers at the barrier-to-well interface and well-to-barrier interface, and (3) barriers surrounding each quantum well. Eight combinations of samples were examined with varying In content, Ga(N)As spacer layer thickness, N content, and N location in the structure. In the best cases, the presence of these Ga(N)As spacer layers improves the PL properties, due to annealing, with a reduction in the emission wavelength blueshift by ～400 Å, a reduction of the decrease in the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) by ～5 meV, and a threefold reduction of the increase in integrated intensity. It was also observed that relocating N from the quantum wells to the barriers produces a comparable emission wavelength both before and after annealing. Our results further show that the composition of incorporated N in the material is most influential during the stages of RTA in which relatively small amounts of thermal energy is present from our lower annealing times and temperatures. Hence, we believe a low thermal-energy anneal is responsible for the recovery of the plasma-related crystal damage that was incurred during its growth. However, the In composition in the quantum well is most influential during the latter stages of thermal annealing, at increased times and temperatures, where the wavelength blueshift was roughly independent of the amount of incorporated N. As a result, our investigations into the effects of RTA on the PL properties support other reports that suggest the wavelength blueshift is not due to N diffusion.     

Structure investigation on Hg1−xCdxTe liquid phase epitaxial films grown by the meltetch technique

Hg_1−xCd_xTe films were grown by a modified meltetch liquid phase epitaxial (LPE) technique which includes both substrate and epilayer etchback steps. The crystal quality of epilayer has been investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and double crystal x-ray diffraction. It has been found that adequate meltetch of the substrate at the beginning of LPE provides a fresh and flat surface for epitaxial growth, while epilayer meltetch at the end of LPE may prevent spurious melt sticking.     

Open-tube vapor transport epitaxy of Hg1−xCdxTe

A novel set-up for horizontal open-tube vapor transport epitaxy of Hg_1−xCd_xTe films is described. Mirror-like Hg_1−xCd_xTe epitaxial layers with thicknesses up to 40 Μm were grown and characterized. The growth temperature ranged from 380 to 550‡C, with growth rates of the order of 0.5–7 Μm per hour. The concentration depth profiles and the optical and electrical properties of relatively uniform films with x≈0.3–0.4 are reported. The process kinetics are studied. A simple model which takes into account the reactions occurring at the boundaries of the epitaxial layer and the interdiffusion in the epilayer is presented and discussed. The model fits the experimentally observed characteristics of the epitaxial growth process. A constant growth rate leading to a linear dependence of film thickness upon deposition time y–y_i=k_s t is derived. The reaction rate constant k is given by k_s=k_oe^−Ea^/kT with k_o=0.18 cm-sec⁻¹and the energy of activation E_a=1.12 eV.     

Liquidus isotherms,solidus lines and LPE growth in the Te-rich corner of the Hg-Cd-Te system

Liquidus isotherms for the Hg_1−xCd_xTe primary phase field in the Te-rich corner of the Hg-Cd-Te ternary system have been determined for temperatures from 425 to 600‡C by a modified direct observational technique. These isotherms were used to help establish conditions for the open-tube liquid phase epitaxial growth of Hg_1−xCd_xTe layers on CdTe_1−ySe_y substrates. Layers with x ranging from 0.1 to 0.8 have been grown from Te-rich HgCdTe solutions under flowing H₂ by means of a horizontal slider technique that prevents loss of Hg from the solutions by evaporation. Growth temperatures and times of 450–550‡C and 0.25–10 min, respectively, have been used. The growth solution equilibration time is typically 1 h at 550‡C. Source wafers, supercooled solutions, and (111)-oriented substrates were employed in growing the highest quality layers, which were between 3 and 15 Μm thick. Electron microprobe analysis was used to determine x for the epitaxial layers, and the resulting data, along with the liquidus isotherms, were used to obtain solidus lines. In addition to EMP data, optical transmission results are given. This work was sponsored by the Department of the Air Force and the U. S. Army Research Office.     

Improvements in the crystalline quality of PbxSn1−xTe crystals grown by vapor transport in a closed system

The quality of Pb_xSn_1−xTe crystals to be used in infrared detectors was improved by elimination or reduction in the number of holes, linear voids, strains and dislocations during growth. This was accomplished by use of stoichiometric or slightly Te-rich charges preheat treated before use to reduce the number of holes. Linear voids and strains were reduced by using constant diameter growth tubes of 25 mm diameter. The number of dislocations was reduced by the use of a slow cooling rate and limited contract with the walls of the growth tube.     

Investigation of monolayer roughness in HgTe-CdTe superlattices

Infrared photoluminescence (PL) measurements were performed on (2ID-oriented superlattices with energy gaps in the range 110–495 meV. Most of the samples with thinner HgTe quantum wells displayed two PL peaks separated by Δhω ≈ 30–65 meV (which generally increased with decreasing well thickness). Both peak energies (E_p) sometimes varied gradually with location on the surface, and in one case three peaks of approximately equal spacing were observed in some locations. The data are consistent with a model which assumes the presence of randomly distributed islands having well thicknesses varying by approximately one monolayer. We find that Ahco and the variations of the spectra with temperature agree well with calculations based on this simple model.     

Transient behavior of Hg1−xCdxTe film growth on (111)B CdTe substrates by chemical vapor transport

As part of a systematic investigation of the effects of substrate surfaces on epitaxial growth, the transient behavior of Hg_1−xCd_xTe film growth on (111)B CdTe by chemical vapor transport (CVT) has been studied as a function of growth time under vertical stabilizing (hot end on top) and vertical destabilizing (hot end at bottom) ampoule orientations. The experim ental results show the morphological transition of the Hg_1−xCd_xTe deposition on (111)B CdTe at 545°C from three-dimensional islands to layers within about 0.5 and 0.75 h for the growth under vertical stabilizing and destabilizing conditions, respectively. The combined effects of small convective flow disturbances on the growth morphology and defect formation are measurable. The overall trends of the time dependent growth rates and compositions of the Hg_1−xCd_xTe epitaxial layers under stabilizing and destabilizing conditions are similar. The system atically higher growth rates of the Hg_1−xCd_xTe films by about 10% under vertical destabilizing conditions could be influenced by a small convective contribution to the mass transport. The combined results show that improved Hg_1−xCd_xTe epitaxial layers of low twin density on (111)B CdTe substrates can be obtained by CVT under vertical stabilizing conditions.     

Growth and characterization of InGaAs/InP p-quantum-well infrared photodetectors with extremely thin quantum wells

High-quality InGaAs/InP quantum wells with ultra-narrow well widths (∼10?) and peak response at 4.55 μm were grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy. These structures were characterized by cross-sectional tunneling microscopy (XSTM), double-crystal x-ray diffraction (DCXRD), and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM). Based on the structural parameters determined by XTEM, XSTM, and DCXRD, the field dependent photocurrent spectra were simulated using a six-band effective bond-orbital model. The theoretical calculations are in excellent agreement with experimental data. When used to fabricate p-type InGaAs/InP quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs), and combined with the high responsivity of 8.93 μm n-type InGaAs/InP QWIPs, these structures offer the possibility of dual band monolithically integrated QWIPs.     

Photoluminescence characterization of UHV/CVD grown multi-quantum well structures

Ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition is particularly suitable for growth of band gap engineered Ge_xSi_1?x structures, since abrupt epilayers with a very high degree of uniformity can be obtained. We have grown multi-quantum well structures over a range of well widths and have characterized them by photoluminescence spectroscopy. We have observed prominent quantum well-related features that shift to higher energy in samples with narrower well widths. Spectra taken from various points on a 75 mm wafer show a maximum variation of ±3 meV in position of the no phonon peak in the 35Å well multi-quantum well sample.     

Tellurium-rich growth and laser fabrication of lead-tin-telluride (Pb1−xSnxTe: 0.06<x<0.08)

Single crystals of Pb_1−x Sn_x Te (0.06<x<0.08) have been grown by using an ingot-nucleation technique from a Te-rich source. The as-grown crystals have a p-type carrier concentration around 10¹⁹ cm⁻³ and dislocation density as low as 10³ cm⁻². Diode lasers fabricated from these crystals have contact resistances of 2×10⁻⁵ Ω-cm² and a single-mode single-ended output power of 750 μW at heat sink temperatures around 15 K.     

Precise measurements of the dispersion of the index of refraction for Cd1−xZnxTe alloys

By using a prism coupler technique in conjunction with reflectivity measurements, we have obtained highly accurate relations for the dispersion of the indices of refraction n for a series of MBE-grown Cd_1−xZn_xTe alloys. Initially, the prism coupler technique was used to determine n at discrete wavelengths with an accuracy of at least 0.1%, and also to concurrently determine the epilayer thicknesses with an uncertainty of less than 0.5%. Having obtained precise values for both n (at discrete wavelengths) and the thicknesses of the Cd_1−xZn_xTe epilayers, we were then able to correctly decipher the values for n at the maxima and minima of the reflectivity spectra observed on the above epilayers, and thereby generate a continuous variation of the indices of refraction as a function of wavelength. Fitting the dispersion of n in each alloy to a Sellmeier-type dispersion relation, we have obtained the dependence of the constants appearing in this relation on the alloy concentration. This enables one to predict n not only as a function of wavelength, but also as a function of alloy composition.