Effects of Thermal-Strain-Induced Atomic Intermixing on the Interfacial and Photoluminescence Properties of InGaAs/AlGaAs Multiple Quantum Wells
Quantum-well intermixing (QWI) technology is commonly considered as an effective methodology to tune the post-growth bandgap energy of semiconductor composites for electronic applications in diode lasers and photonic integrated devices. However, the specific influencing mechanism of the interfacial...
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| author | Zhi Yang Shuai Zhang Shufang Ma Yu Shi Qingming Liu Xiaodong Hao Lin Shang Bin Han Bocang Qiu Bingshe Xu |
| author_facet | Zhi Yang Shuai Zhang Shufang Ma Yu Shi Qingming Liu Xiaodong Hao Lin Shang Bin Han Bocang Qiu Bingshe Xu |
| author_sort | Zhi Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Quantum-well intermixing (QWI) technology is commonly considered as an effective methodology to tune the post-growth bandgap energy of semiconductor composites for electronic applications in diode lasers and photonic integrated devices. However, the specific influencing mechanism of the interfacial strain introduced by the dielectric-layer-modulated multiple quantum well (MQW) structures on the photoluminescence (PL) property and interfacial quality still remains unclear. Therefore, in the present study, different thicknesses of SiO<sub>2</sub>-layer samples were coated and then annealed under high temperature to introduce interfacial strain and enhance atomic interdiffusion at the barrier–well interfaces. Based on the optical and microstructural experimental test results, it was found that the SiO<sub>2</sub> capping thickness played a positive role in driving the blueshift of the PL peak, leading to a widely tunable PL emission for post-growth MQWs. After annealing, the blueshift in the InGaAs/AlGaAs MQW structures was found to increase with increased thickness of the SiO<sub>2</sub> layer, and the largest blueshift of 30 eV was obtained in the sample covered with a 600 nm thick SiO<sub>2</sub> layer that was annealed at 850 °C for 180 s. Additionally, significant well-width fluctuations were observed at the MQW interface after intermixing, due to the interfacial strain introduced by the thermal mismatch between SiO<sub>2</sub> and GaAs, which enhanced the inhomogeneous diffusion rate of interfacial atoms. Thus, it can be demonstrated that the introduction of appropriate interfacial strain in the QWI process is of great significance for the regulation of MQW band structure as well as the control of interfacial quality. |
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| spelling | doaj.art-d4377b3075ab4aeaa1d0fc97c44c4bd22023-11-19T08:29:49ZengMDPI AGMaterials1996-19442023-09-011617606810.3390/ma16176068Effects of Thermal-Strain-Induced Atomic Intermixing on the Interfacial and Photoluminescence Properties of InGaAs/AlGaAs Multiple Quantum WellsZhi Yang0Shuai Zhang1Shufang Ma2Yu Shi3Qingming Liu4Xiaodong Hao5Lin Shang6Bin Han7Bocang Qiu8Bingshe Xu9Materials Institute of Atomic and Molecular Science, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, ChinaMaterials Institute of Atomic and Molecular Science, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, ChinaMaterials Institute of Atomic and Molecular Science, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, ChinaSchool of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaMaterials Institute of Atomic and Molecular Science, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, ChinaMaterials Institute of Atomic and Molecular Science, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, ChinaMaterials Institute of Atomic and Molecular Science, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, ChinaMaterials Institute of Atomic and Molecular Science, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, ChinaMaterials Institute of Atomic and Molecular Science, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, ChinaMaterials Institute of Atomic and Molecular Science, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, ChinaQuantum-well intermixing (QWI) technology is commonly considered as an effective methodology to tune the post-growth bandgap energy of semiconductor composites for electronic applications in diode lasers and photonic integrated devices. However, the specific influencing mechanism of the interfacial strain introduced by the dielectric-layer-modulated multiple quantum well (MQW) structures on the photoluminescence (PL) property and interfacial quality still remains unclear. Therefore, in the present study, different thicknesses of SiO<sub>2</sub>-layer samples were coated and then annealed under high temperature to introduce interfacial strain and enhance atomic interdiffusion at the barrier–well interfaces. Based on the optical and microstructural experimental test results, it was found that the SiO<sub>2</sub> capping thickness played a positive role in driving the blueshift of the PL peak, leading to a widely tunable PL emission for post-growth MQWs. After annealing, the blueshift in the InGaAs/AlGaAs MQW structures was found to increase with increased thickness of the SiO<sub>2</sub> layer, and the largest blueshift of 30 eV was obtained in the sample covered with a 600 nm thick SiO<sub>2</sub> layer that was annealed at 850 °C for 180 s. Additionally, significant well-width fluctuations were observed at the MQW interface after intermixing, due to the interfacial strain introduced by the thermal mismatch between SiO<sub>2</sub> and GaAs, which enhanced the inhomogeneous diffusion rate of interfacial atoms. Thus, it can be demonstrated that the introduction of appropriate interfacial strain in the QWI process is of great significance for the regulation of MQW band structure as well as the control of interfacial quality.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/17/6068InGaAs/AlGaAsthermal strainquantum-well intermixinginterfacial qualitywavelength blueshift |
| spellingShingle | Zhi Yang Shuai Zhang Shufang Ma Yu Shi Qingming Liu Xiaodong Hao Lin Shang Bin Han Bocang Qiu Bingshe Xu Effects of Thermal-Strain-Induced Atomic Intermixing on the Interfacial and Photoluminescence Properties of InGaAs/AlGaAs Multiple Quantum Wells Materials InGaAs/AlGaAs thermal strain quantum-well intermixing interfacial quality wavelength blueshift |
| title | Effects of Thermal-Strain-Induced Atomic Intermixing on the Interfacial and Photoluminescence Properties of InGaAs/AlGaAs Multiple Quantum Wells |
| title_full | Effects of Thermal-Strain-Induced Atomic Intermixing on the Interfacial and Photoluminescence Properties of InGaAs/AlGaAs Multiple Quantum Wells |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Thermal-Strain-Induced Atomic Intermixing on the Interfacial and Photoluminescence Properties of InGaAs/AlGaAs Multiple Quantum Wells |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Thermal-Strain-Induced Atomic Intermixing on the Interfacial and Photoluminescence Properties of InGaAs/AlGaAs Multiple Quantum Wells |
| title_short | Effects of Thermal-Strain-Induced Atomic Intermixing on the Interfacial and Photoluminescence Properties of InGaAs/AlGaAs Multiple Quantum Wells |
| title_sort | effects of thermal strain induced atomic intermixing on the interfacial and photoluminescence properties of ingaas algaas multiple quantum wells |
| topic | InGaAs/AlGaAs thermal strain quantum-well intermixing interfacial quality wavelength blueshift |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/17/6068 |
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