ELECTRICAL AND OPTICAL-PROPERTIES OF INP GROWN BY MOLECULAR-BEAM EPITAXY USING A VALVED PHOSPHORUS CRACKER CELL

We report the molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) growth of high quality ep itaxial indium phosphide (InP) using a valved phosphorus cracker cell over a wide range of V/III flux ratio (1.2-9.3) and substrate temperat ure (360 degrees C to 500 degrees C). The as-grown epitaxial InP on In P (100) substrate was n-type, with a background electron concentration and mobility which varied according to the V/III flux ratio and subst rate temperature (T-s). Using a cracking zone temperature (T-cr) of 85 0 degrees C, the highest electron mobility at 77 K of 40900 cm(2)/Vs w as achieved at a V/III flux ratio of 2.3 at a substrate temperature of 440 degrees C. The corresponding background electron concentration at 77 K was the lowest at 1.74 x 10(15) cm(-3). The photoluminescence (P L) full-width at half maximum (FWHM) decreased significantly in sample s grown at lower flux ratios indicating an improvement in the optical quality. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.