MBE growth of novel MgSe/ZnSeTe: NII-VI compound superlattice quasi-quaternaries on InP substrates and application to light-emitting diodes

Novel MgSe/ZnSeTe II-VI compound superlattice quasi-quaternaries (SL-QQs) w ere grown on InP substrates by molecular beam epitaxy with p-type doping us ing a RF-radical nitrogen source. The SL-QQs with various equivalent Mg com positions (x(Mg)) were prepared by changing the MgSe layer composition in t he superlattice. Thf photoluminescence peak energy at 15 K increased from 2 .11 to 2.68 eV with increasing x(Mg) from 0 to 0.76. A hole concentration o ver 2 x 10(18) cm(-3) was obtained for x(Mg) of 0.14, and the doping level monotonically decreased with increasing x(Mg). By changing the doping proce ss, the doping property was improved, and a hole concentration of about 3 x 10(17) cm(-3) was realized even for x(Mg) of 0.4. ZnCdSe/MgZnCdSe(Te) ligh t emitting diodes were fabricated on InP substrates using MgSe/ZnSeTe SL-QQ s as p-side cladding layers. Yellow light emissions around 577 nm were obse rved under a pulsed current injection at 77 K. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B. V. All rights reserved.