In order to obtain metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) grow
n (AlxGa1-x)(0.5)In0.5P (x = 0.4 and 0.7) with as high as possible hol
e concentrations two different approaches were investigated. First, as
a reference, AlGaInP was grown with the traditional precursor combina
tion trimethylindium (TMIn), trimethylgallium (TMGa), trimethylalumini
um (TMAl) and di-ethylzinc (DEZn) as a dopant. This was compared with
layers grown with dimethylamine-alane (DMEAAl) as aluminium precursor
and tri-ethylgallium (TEGa) instead of TMGa. The electrical activity o
f zinc in layers grown with DMEAAl and TEGa is found to be much higher
than in layers grown with TMAl and TMGa. Oxygen was identified as the
main cause of Zn-acceptor compensation. The other dopant, magnesium,
was used with the conventional group III precursors (TMGa, TMIn and TM
Al). With both dopants, hole concentrations above 10(18) cm(-3) for x
= 0.4 and close to 10(18) cm(-3) for x = 0.7 were obtained at growth t
emperatures of 640 and 720 degrees C. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. A
ll rights reserved.