Ion channeling, high resolution x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy in strained quantum wells

InGaAs strained epitaxial layers on GaAs are of considerable interest in se miconductor devices. An important feature is the critical thickness of the epitaxial layer beyond which relaxation occurs, affecting the device perfor mance. With this in view, a series of such structures have been grown by or ganometallic vapor phase epitaxy and characterized by ion channeling, high resolution x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The results of these t hree techniques are compared for the samples in this study which are fully strained, nominally and by experimental measurements. Beam steering effect that occurs at low energy channeling is also addressed. (C) 2001 American I nstitute of Physics.