Band gap uniformity and layer stability of HgTe-CdTe superlattices grown by photon-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

Two material properties important to the application of HgTe/CdTe superlattices for device fabrication are band gap uniformity and thermal stability. In this paper, we present the results of an infrared photoluminescence study of (211)B HgTe/CdTe superlattices grown by photon-assisted molecular beam epitaxy which show that cut-off wavelength uniformity can be controlled to a level commensurate with the demands of advanced infrared detector fabrication. Infrared photoluminescence and transmission electron microscopy were also employed to demonstrate that (211)B HgTe/CdTe superlattices are less prone to interdiffusion than previously believed.     

Evidence of strong phonon-assisted resonant intervalley up-transfer for electrons in type-II GaAs-AlAs Superlattices

We demonstrate that interface optical phonons can efficiently pump electrons from the quasi-X states to the quasi-/spl Gamma/ states in short-period type-II GaAs-AlAs superlattices. As a result, peculiar behaviors on these superlattices have been observed. First, photoluminescence intensity for the quasi-direct transition drastically increases as the temperature or pump power increases. Second, the dependence of the integrated photoluminescence intensity on the pump power exhibits a square power law.     

Low pressure MOVPE growth of ZnSe,ZnTe, and ZnSe/ZnTe strained-layer superlattices

ZnSe and ZnTe single-crystal layers have been grown onto (100) GaAs substrates by low-pressure metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy (LP-MOVPE) using the triethylamine-dimethylzinc adduct [DMZn(NEt₃)] as the zinc precursor. The selenium and tellurium precursors were H₂Se (5% in H₂) and di-isopropyltellurium (DiPTe), respectively. These two semiconductors have been grown with different VI/II molar ratios, at different growth temperatures, and with an overall growth pressure ranging from 40 to 400 Torr. Optimal growth parameters have been determined by optical means for the two materials. This information was then used to grow ZnTe/ZnSe strained-layer superlattices. We have studied structures grown on both ZnSe and ZnTe relaxed buffer layers which display a drastic dependence of the Stokes shift between photoluminescence and the optical bandgap on the nature of the buffer layer. Growth interruptions have been used to optimize the optical properties of the superlattices. Theoretical modeling of superlattice band structures has been performed using results of optical and structural characterizations. Observations of zone center transitions as well as excitons associated with the miniband dispersion of the superlattices are reported, in agreement with the theoretical calculation.     

MOCVD-grown heterostructures with GaAs/AlGaAs Superlattices: Growth features and optical and transport characteristics

The results of studies of MOCVD growth regularities of GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices with narrow forbidden minibands are presented. The spectra of photoluminescence and X-ray diffraction are measured, the concentration distribution profiles of components are determined by secondary-ion mass spectrometry, and the concentration distribution of charge carriers are determined by the method of capacitance profiling. The relation of the growth modes of heterostructures to their crystalline characteristics and luminescent and electrical properties are studied. The photoluminescence measurements indicate the high quality of the superlattices. X-ray diffraction and the data on secondary ions confirm the high periodicity of the superlattices grown in the optimized modes. The nonlinear current-voltage characteristics with a region of negative differential conductivity at moderate voltages and subsequent current increase at higher voltages because of tunneling between the minibands is found for the superlattices grown in the optimal growth modes. Current oscillations at frequencies of ～60 MHz were observed in the region of negative differential conductivity. The negative differential conductivity and oscillations confirm the presence of the electron localization effect in moderate electric fields in the first conductivity miniband, which emerges due to the Bragg reflection of carriers in the superlattice.     

Residual strain in Si-Si1−xGex quantum dots

Quantum dots of 50–60 nm diameter fabricated from both Si-Si_1−xGe_x (x = 0.1−0.3) strained layer superlattices and a strain symmetrized Si₉-Ge₆ superlattice were investigated by photoluminescence and Raman scattering. It was found that the residual strain in 50 nm etched quantum dots can be as large as 50% of a corresponding pseudomorphic structure. In addition, both the photoluminescence intensity and quenching temperature of these dots increase as compared to the corresponding as-grown superlattices. These improved optical properties may be due to a combined effect of lateral quantum confinement and a possible indirect-direct bandgap transition in the dots induced by the change of strain field during the nanofabrication process.     

Oscillating electric field domains in GaAs/AlAs superlattices

We report on the observation of self-sustained oscillations associated with electric-field domains in GaAs/AlAs superlattices. The samples are n-doped superlattices embedded between n⁺-contacts. The observed oscillation frequencies between 700 kHz and 100 MHz depend strongly on the coupling strength between adjacent wells. Monitoring the oscillations with time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy indicates that the current oscillations are due to the movement of a charge accumulation layer at the domain boundary.     

Photoluminescence of amorphous and crystalline silicon nanoclusters in silicon nitride and oxide superlattices

The photoluminescence properties of silicon nitride and oxide superlattices fabricated by plasmaenhanced chemical vapor deposition are studied. In the structures annealed at a temperature of 1150°C, photoluminescence peaks at about 1.45 eV are recorded. The peaks are defined by exciton recombination in silicon nanocrystals formed upon annealing. Along with the 1.45-eV peaks, a number of peaks defined by recombination at defects at the interface between the nanocrystals and silicon-nitride matrix are detected. The structures annealed at 900°C exhibit a number of photoluminescence peaks in the range 1.3–2.0 eV. These peaks are defined by both the recombination at defects and exciton recombination in amorphous silicon nanoclusters formed at an annealing temperature of 900°C. The observed features of all of the photoluminescence spectra are confirmed by the nature of the photoluminescence kinetics.     

The form of the profile of heterointerfaces in (311)Ga GaAs/AlAs structures

The steady-state photoluminescence and kinetics of photoluminescence of the (100)-oriented and (311)Ga-oriented type II GaAs/AlAs superlattices are studied under the effect of the electric field of the surface acoustic wave. It is found that, in the (100)-oriented structures, the drop of intensity of steady-state photoluminescence and acceleration of photoluminescence kinetics are independent of the direction of the electric field of the surface acoustic wave with respect to crystallographic directions, while in the (311)Ga-oriented structures these effects are anisotropic. It is shown that all variations in the steady-state photoluminescence and in kinetics of photoluminescence of (100)-oriented and (311)Ga-oriented structures under the effect of the electric field of the acoustic wave are associated with transfer and capture by the nonradiative recombination centers of nonequilibrium charge carriers, which are initially localized in wide quantum wells formed by fluctuations of the thickness of the layers of the structures. From the obtained experimental data, the parameters of the profile of heterointerfaces of the (311)Ga GaAs/AlAs superlattices are determined. It is established that the lateral sizes of microgrooves in the [011] direction on the direct and inverse heterointerfaces of the (311)Ga superlattices exceed 3.2 nm, while the modulation of the thickness of the AlAs layers is from 0.8 to 1.2 nm.     

Contributions of the interior and surface states of charge carriers to the emission spectra of CdS quantum dots in borosilicate glasses

The photoluminescence spectra of CdS quantum dots grown in a borosilicate glass by sol-gel technology are recorded and analyzed. It is shown that the photoluminescence spectra of the samples are related to annihilation of free (interior) excitons in the ground state and excited state. Emission associated with the surface states of the quantum dots is detected in the region around 2.7 eV for the first time. The emission is due to recombination of electrons localized at the surface with heavy holes in the free states of the quantum dots. Resonance excitation of the structures makes it possible to reveal the specific features of the localized surface states responsible for the photoluminescence band. The properties of the band are, to a large extent, similar to the properties of the emission bands of both three-dimensional media (amorphous semiconductors and substitution alloys) and two-dimensional systems (quantum wells and superlattices).     

Band structure,magneto-transport,and magneto-optical properties of lnAs-Ga1-xlnxSb superlattices

We have theoretically and experimentally investigated the electronic properties of InAs-Ga_1-xIn_xSb superlattices. It is found that a strong repulsion between the El and HI bands in superlattices with thin Ga_1-xIn_xSb layers leads to dispersion relations that closely resemble those in HgTe-CdTe superlattices. Temperature-dependent magneto-transport and magneto-optical measurements on samples with a range of InAs layer thicknesses confirm several of the theoretically predicted consequences, e.g., the coexistence of two electron species in semimetallic superlattices and a very light electron cyctron mass in narrow-gap semiconducting samples. The electron mobility is found to be dominated by interface roughness scattering under nearly all conditions of interest. Implications for this system as an infrared detector material are discussed.     

A unified treatment of radiation-induced photorefractive, thermal,and neutron transmutation gratings

We have reviewed different types of periodic structures (superlattices) induced by optical, infrared, and neutron irradiation. Both optical and electrical properties of these superlattices are analyzed, starting from the standard photorefractive model. New results on the thermoelectric and pyroelectric dynamic gratings are discussed in connection to the energy conversion and vibration sensing. For the neutron irradiation both real-time and static grating are analyzed, suggesting transmutation doping as a mechanism of recording     

The exciton photoluminescence and vertical transport of photoinduced carriers in CdSe/CdMgSe superlattices

The photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectra, phonon-related Raman scattering, and vertical transport of photoinduced carriers and excitons along the growth direction in type I lowstrained CdSe/CdMgSe superlattices, which are grown on InAs substrates using molecular-beam epitaxy, are studied for the first time. The studies are carried out at various temperatures and excitation intensities. The vertical transport is studied by a purely optical method involving an enlarged quantum well built in into the superlattice. This well serves as a sink for the excitons and charge carriers tunneled through the superlattice. At 2–150 K, the carriers are preferentially transported by free excitons. However, in superlattices with periods of 5.9 and 7.3 nm, this transport is not of the Bloch type. A comparison of the calculated energies of the band-to-band transitions in the superlattices with the experimental data yields the relative magnitude of the valence-band offset in the range 0.4–0.5. The Raman spectra indicate that the behavior of optical phonons in CdMgSe is bimodal.     

Influence of an increase in the implantation dose of erbium ions and annealing temperature on photoluminescence in AlGaN/GaN superlattices and GaN epitaxial layers

Room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) has been studied in AlGaN/GaN superlattices and GaN epitaxial layers implanted with 1-MeV erbium at a dose of 3 × 10¹⁵ cm^?2 and annealed in argon. The intensity of PL from Er³⁺ ions in the superlattices exceeds that for the epitaxial layers at annealing temperatures of 700–1000°C. The strongest difference (by a factor of ～2.8) in PL intensity between the epitaxial layers and the superlattices and the highest PL intensity for the superlattices are observed upon annealing at 900°C. On raising the annealing temperature to 1050°C, the intensity of the erbium emission from the superlattices decreases substantially. This circumstance may be due to their thermal destruction.     

Stable Temperature Characteristics of InAs／GaAs Quantum Dots at Long Wavelength Emission

The time-resolved photoluminescence and steady photoluminescence (TRPL and PL) spectra on self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) are investigated. By depositing GaAs/InAs short period superlattices (SLs), 1. 48μm emission is obtained at room temperature. Temperature dependent PL measurements show that the PL intensity of the emission is very steady. It decays only to half as the temperature increases from 15 K to room temperature, while at the same time, the intensity of the other emission decreases by a factor of 5 orders of magnitude. These two emissions are attributed to large-size QDs and short period superlattices (SLs), respectively. Large-size QDs are easier to capture and confine carriers, which benefits the lifetime of PL, and therefore makes the emission intensity insensitive to the temperature.     

Dimensionality effects in the hot-electron photoluminescence of gallium arsenide: 2D-quasi-3D transition

The influence of the miniband width in superlattices on the polarization characteristics of hot-electron photoluminescence (HEPL) is investigated. It is shown that the energy dependence and the magnetic field dependence of polarization change significantly as the width of the electron minibands increases. The limits of applicability are established for the tight-binding approximation in the calculation of optical transitions in superlattices. Fiz. Tekh. Poluprovodn. 33, 738–741 (June 1999)     

Van der Waals Heteroepitaxy of GaSe and InSe,Quantum Wells,and Superlattices

Bandgap engineering and quantum confinement in semiconductor heterostructures provide the means to fine-tune material response to electromagnetic fields and light in a wide range of the spectrum. Nonetheless, forming semiconductor heterostructures on lattice-mismatched substrates is a challenge for several decades, leading to restrictions for device integration and the lack of efficient devices in important wavelength bands. Here, it is shown that the van der Waals epitaxy of 2D GaSe and InSe heterostructures occur on substrates with substantially different lattice parameters, namely silicon and sapphire. The GaSe/InSe heteroepitaxy is applied in the growth of quantum wells and superlattices presenting photoluminescence and absorption related to interband transitions.     

Structure of heterointerfaces and photoluminescence properties of GaAs/AlAs superlattices grown on (311)A and (311)B surfaces: Comparative analysis

The photoluminescence properties of type II GaAs/AlAs superlattices grown on the (311) surface are determined by their polarity. Previous HRTEM investigations demonstrated a corrugation (with height of 1 nm and period of 3.2 nm) of both GaAs/AlAs and AlAs/GaAs interfaces in samples grown on the (311)A surface. In the present study, a lateral periodicity of 3.2 nm is also revealed in HRTEM images of a superlattice grown on the (311)B surface and in their Fourier transforms. However, this periodicity is poorly pronounced, which is due to fuzzy corrugation and the presence of a long-wavelength (>10 nm) disorder. Photoluminescence spectra of the GaAs/AlAs superlattice on the (311)A surface are strongly polarized relative to the direction of interface corrugation, in contrast to the (311)B superlattice, in which the corrugation is weakly pronounced. It was found that the strong mixing between the Θ and X minima of the conduction band, occurring only in sublattices with strongly corrugated interfaces, allows generation of bright red luminescence at 650 nm up to room temperature. The distinctions revealed between the superlattices grown on the (311)A and (311)B surfaces confirm that it is precisely the interface corrugation, and not crystallographic orientation, that governs the optical properties of (311) superlattices.     

Exciton energy states and photoluminescence spectra of the strained-layer ZnS-ZnSe superlattices

Excitonic photoluminescence spectra in the ZnS-ZnSe strained-layer superlattices with imperfect heterointerfaces were studied experimentally. It is shown that the energy states of excitons in these structures are affected both by interface imperfections and internal strain caused by the lattice mismatch between the semiconductors composing the superlattice layers.     

Influence of tension-twisting deformations and defects on optical and electrical properties of B, N doped carbon nanotube superlattices

As the era of nanoelectronics is dawning, CNT (carbon nanotube), a one-dimensional nano material with outstanding properties and performances, has aroused wide attention. In order to study its optical and electrical properties, this paper has researched the influence of tension-twisting deformation, defects, and mixed type on the electronic structure and optical properties of the armchair carbon nanotube superlattices doped cyclic alternately with B and N by using the first-principle method. Our findings show that if tension-twisting deformation is conducted, then the geometric structure, bond length, binding energy, band gap and optical properties of B, N doped carbon nanotube superlattices with defects and mixed type will be influenced. As the degree of exerted tension-twisting deformation increases, B, N doped carbon nanotube superlattices become less stable, and B, N doped carbon nanotube superlattices with defects are more stable than that with exerted tension-twisting deformations. Proper tension-twisting deformation can adjust the energy gap of the system; defects can only reduce the energy gap, enhancing the system metallicity; while the mixed type of 5% tension, twisting angle of 15° and atomic defects will significantly increase the energy gap of the system. From the perspective of optical properties, doped carbon nanotubes may transform the system from metallicity into semi-conductivity.     

The Huang–Rhys factor and the strength of exciton–LO phonon coupling in ZnO/Mg0.15Zn0.85O superlattices

The temperature dependence of the photoluminescence full width at half maximum and the Huang–Rhys S factor is investigated in ZnO/Mg_0.15Zn_0.85O superlattices. The coupling strength between excitons and longitudinal–optical phonons, which calculated from the temperature dependence of the photoluminescence full width at half maximum, is closely related to the exciton binding energies when the wellwidth is small.