Increased lateral oxidation rates of AlInAs on InP using short-period superlattices

We present greatly increased lateral oxidation rates for AlInAs grown as a short-period superlattice of InAs and AlAs compared to the analog alloy. Th e tensile strain in the AlAs layers is balanced by the compressive strain i n the InAs layers, creating a strain-compensated alloy lattice-matched to I nP. Oxidation layers with superlattice periods up to 40 Angstrom and cladde d by lattice-matched InGaAs layers were grown on InP substrates and lateral ly oxidized at temperatures ranging from 450 degreesC to 525 degreesC. The oxidation depth for a given time and temperature was seen to increase with superlattice period, allowing increased oxidation depths or reduced oxidati on temperatures compared to the analog alloy. Oxidized layers were examined with transmission electron microscopy and were found to retain some of the superlattice structure.