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The Nature and Origin of Lateral Composition Modulations in Short-Period Strained-Layer Superlattices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

A. G. Norman ,
S. P. Ahrenkiel ,
H. R. Moutinho ,
C. Ballif ,
M. M. Al-Jassim ,
A. Mascarenhas ,
D. M. Follstaedt ,
S. R. Lee ,
J. L. Reno  and
E. D. Jones
...Show all authors
A. G. Norman
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401, andrew_norman @nrel.gov
S. P. Ahrenkiel
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401, andrew_norman @nrel.gov
H. R. Moutinho
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401, andrew_norman @nrel.gov
C. Ballif
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401, andrew_norman @nrel.gov
M. M. Al-Jassim
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401, andrew_norman @nrel.gov
A. Mascarenhas
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401, andrew_norman @nrel.gov
D. M. Follstaedt
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
S. R. Lee
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
J. L. Reno
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
E. D. Jones
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
J. Mirecki-Millunchick
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM Now at Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
R. D. Twesten
Affiliation:
Center for Microanalysis of Materials, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
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Abstract

The nature and origin of lateral composition modulations in (AlAs)m(InAs)n short-period strained-layer superlattices grown by molecular beam epitaxy on InP substrates have been investigated by x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Strong modulations were observed for growth temperatures between ≈ 540 and 560° C. The maximum strength of modulations was found for SPS samples with InAs mole fraction x (= n/(n+m)) close to ≈ 0.50 and when n ≈ m ≈ 2. The modulations were suppressed at both high and low values of x. For x > 0.52 (global compression), the modulations were along the <100> directions in the (001) growth plane. For x < 0.52 (global tension), the modulations were along the two <310> directions rotated ≈ ±27° from [110] in the growth plane. The remarkably constant wavelength of the modulations, between ≈ 20–30 nm, and the different modulation directions observed, suggest that the origin of the modulations is due to surface roughening associated with the high misfit between the individual SPS layers and the InP substrate. Highly uniform unidirectional modulations have been grown by control of the InAs mole fraction and growth on suitably offcut substrates, which show great promise for application in device structures.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 583 , 1999 , 297
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2000

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References

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