Molecular beam epitaxy of metamorphic buffer for InGaAs/InP photodetectors with high photosensitivity in the range of 2.2–2.6 um

Abstract

The present work is concerned with finding optimal technological conditions for the synthesis of heterostructures with a metamorphic buffer for InGaAs/InP photodetectors in the wavelength range of 2.2–2.6 um using molecular beam epitaxy. Three choices of buffer structure differing in design and growth parameters were proposed. The internal structure of the grown samples was investigated by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Experimental data analysis has shown that the greatest degree of elastic strain relaxation in the InGaAs active layer was achieved in the sample where the metamorphic buffer formation ended with a consecutive increase and decrease in temperature. The said buffer also had InAs/InAlAs superlattice inserts. The dislocation density in this sample turned out to be minimal out of three, which allowed us to conclude that the described heterostructure configuration appears to be the most appropriate for manufacturing of short wavelength infrared range pin-photodetectors with high photosensitivity.

Keywords

• molecular beam epitaxy
• metamorphic buffer
• short wavelength infrared range photodetectors
• x-ray diffraction analysis
• transmission electron microscopy