Nitrogen incorporation in group III-nitride-arsenide materials grown by elemental source molecular beam epitaxy

Group III-nitride-arsenides are promising materials for long wavelength opt o-electronic: devices grown on GaAs substrates. The growth of nitride-arsen ides was performed in an elemental solid source molecular beam epitaxy syst em with a plasma cell to supply reactive nitrogen. Growth is carried out wi th plasma conditions that maximize the amount of atomic nitrogen versus mol ecular nitrogen, as determined from the emission spectrum of the plasma. Th e group III growth rate controls the nitrogen concentration in the film. Th e photoluminescence intensity of GaNAs and GaInNAs quantum wells (QWs) incr eases drastically and shifts to shorter wavelengths following high temperat ure anneal. Nitrogen diffusion out of the QWs is responsible for the wavele ngth shift, We observe a decrease of interstitial nitrogen after anneal. Ve rtical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with GaInNAs QWs demonstrated a conti nous-wave operation, To limit nitrogen diffusion, the GaAs barriers surroun ding the GaInNAs: QWs were replaced by GaNAs barriers, This new active regi on resulted in devices emitting at 1.3 mum, (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B,V, All rights reserved.