HIGH PEAK-CURRENT-DENSITY STRAINED-LAYER IN0.3GA0.7AS AL0.8GA0.2AS RESONANT-TUNNELING DIODES GROWN BY METAL-ORGANIC CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION/

Peak current densities two times higher than the best values reported for GaAs-based resonant tunneling diode (RTD) structures have been obt ained from metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition (MOCVD)-grown deep- quantum-well strained-layer In0.3Ga0.7As/Al0.8Ga0.2As RTDs. By growing on nominally exact (100) +/-0.1 degrees GaAs substrates, we have been able to obtain smooth interfaces between the strained-layer In0.3Ga0. 7As quantum well and Al0.8Ga0.2As barriers, which, in turn, enabled us to benefit from resonant tunneling through the second resonant energy level of In0.3Ga0.7As/Al0.8Ga0.2As structures. Peak current densities in excess of 300 kA/cm(2), and peak-to-valley current ratios as high as 3:1, at 300 K, have been obtained from structures with 14-Angstrom- thick barriers and a 57-Angstrom-thick well. (C) 1997 American Institu te of Physics.