A comparison of impurity-free and ion-implantation-induced intermixing of InGaAs/InP quantum wells

We have compared the time integrated photoluminescence (PL) and the time re solved PL of several lattice matched InGaAs/InP quantum wells intermixed ei ther by ion implantation or an impurity-free method. We have found that the carrier capture rates into quantum wells and carrier relaxation from the w ells depend on the type of intermixing used. Our results indicate that the carrier lifetimes are significantly longer in samples intermixed by the imp urity-free methods, while the carrier collection efficiency of the quantum wells is more efficient in samples intermixed by ion implantation. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)02322-7].