EFFECT OF HYDROGEN PASSIVATION ON BE-DOPED ALGAAS GAAS QUANTUM-WELLS/

Hydrogen passivation of high quality AlGaAs/GaAs:Be quantum wells (QWs ) is studied by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The interaction o f hydrogen with both Be dopants and QW interfaces is analyzed. The eff iciency of Be acceptor passivation by hydrogen is shown to be dependen t on the Be concentration. By comparing the PL spectra of the QW struc tures with different doping level, before and after hydrogenation, a p artial (up to 50%) deactivation of Be atoms is revealed. It is also sh own that a prolonged hydrogenation strongly degrades the interface sha rpness, presumably due to hydrogen-enhanced intermixing. (C) 1996 Amer ican Institute of Physics.