STRAINED GAINAS QUANTUM-WELL MID-IR EMITTERS

Strained GaInAs grown on InP offers an alternative to antimonide-based technology for mid-IR light emitting diodes and lasers operating at w avelengths up to approximately 2.4 microns. Such devices consist of co mpressively strained GaInAs quantum wells, with either lattice-matched or tensile-strained GaInAs carrier confinement barriers, and lattice- matched AlInAs optical confinement layers. The paper explores the wave length limits which are dictated by the requirements for pseudomorphic growth and adequate carrier confinement. The electrical and optical r esults obtained from structures emitting at 2.1 and 1.8 microns at roo m temperature are reported and the data compared with the results of t he Van de Walle model solid theory.