PHOTOLUMINESCENCE BLUESHIFT INDUCED BY REACTIVE ION ETCHING OF STRAINED CDZNSE ZNSE QUANTUM-WELL STRUCTURES/

A study of the effects of reactive ion etching (RIE) on molecular beam epitaxy-grown Zn1-xCdxSe/ZnSe strained multiple quantum well samples using low temperature photoluminescence reveals a blueshift in the cha racteristic peak positions of the wells when etched with CH4/H-2. Base d on the experimental results, we suggest that the blueshift is not a result of hydrogen incorporation, but that etch induced damage relaxes the compressive strain present in the as-grown quantum well, producin g the observed blueshift. After thermal annealing the energy of the ph otoluminescence signal returns to its original value, suggesting a res toration of the strain by elimination of the structural damage induced by RIE. However, the original photoluminescence intensity is not reco vered by annealing. (C) 1996 American Vacuum Society.