Gas-source molecular beam epitaxial growth and thermal annealing of GaInNAs/GaAs quantum wells

In this paper, we report the growth of GaInNAs/GaAs quantum wells (QWs) by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy with a radio-frequency (RF) nitrogen radi cal beam source. The influence of growth temperature and N-2 flow rate on G aInNAs/GaAs QWs is examined. At the optimal growth condition, room-temperat ure photoluminescence (PL) at 1.3 mu m is obtained for an as-grown Ga0.7In0 .3N0.02As0.98/GaAs QW. The satellite peaks of the X-ray rocking curves are broader for Ga0.7In0.3N0.03As0.97/GaAs QWs than for N-free samples, presuma bly due to composition fluctuations and rougher interfaces, as confirmed by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) images. Power-depe ndent PL measurements show that a higher incident laser power causes a larg er PL peak blue shift for Ga0.7In0.3N0.03As0.97/GaAs QWs than Ga0.7In0.3 As /GaAs QWs. Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) improves interface morphology and PL intensity, reduces the PL peak width, but causes a blue shift in PL peak energy. The optimal annealing temperature is higher for GaInNAs/GaAs QWs t han GaInAs/GaAs QWs, indicating the former is thermally more stable. By usi ng RTA, an improved 1.3 mu m RT PL emission of a GaInNAs/GaAs QW with stron ger intensity and narrower linewidth is obtained successfully. (C) 2000 Els evier Science B.V. All rights reserved.