Stress analysis in strain compensated arsenide/phosphide superlattices grown by chemical beam epitaxy. Part 1

Strained layers superlattices are at the front of today's materials researc h. The potential use of strain to modify the electronic behavior of semicon ductor compounds has opened new horizons for device engineers. However, the synthesis of these new materials poses new problems. Limitations imposed b y dislocations creation threshold often hinder the viability of the obtaine d structures. Nonuniformity in strain distribution also leads to nonuniform , nonlocalized response functions in the devices thus obtained. These probl ems were at the origin of the later developed strain compensated superlatti ces. In this paper, we present a systematic study of one such structure gro wn by chemical beam epitaxy using high-resolution single and double crystal X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Several samples gr own under different conditions were examined and the strain induced effects on the structural and optoelectronic properties were determined in this st udy. Lattice mismatch was measured using {511} asymmetric and {400} symmetr ic X-ray reflection. The lattice misfit and the elastic strain were also ca lculated. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.