PHOTOLUMINESCENCE STUDY OF HYDROGENATED ALUMINUM OXIDE-SEMICONDUCTOR INTERFACE

We present a study of oxide-semiconductor interfaces formed by wet the rmal oxidation of a thin epitaxial AlAs layer. Photoluminescence (PL) from a quantum well in close proximity to the interface is monitored b efore and after oxidation. The normalized PL intensity was found to de crease-roughly in proportion to the degree of completeness of the oxid ation. The diminishing luminescence is attributed to the presence of t rap states formed at the oxide-semiconductor interface formed during t he oxidation process; hydrogen ion treatment is effective in the parti al restoration of the luminescence. In addition to the traps, the oxid ation process also ''disorders'' the material within similar to 15 nm from the semiconductor-oxide interface, as revealed by transmission el ectron micrographs. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.