Red and infrared phosphide materials grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Rochester. Institute of Optics, 1999.Materials and device research is presented on the growth and characterization of GaInAsP and AlGaInP to demonstrate the effectiveness, for III-V semiconductor materials development, of the valved cracker solid phosphorus source. Incorporation differences into GaInAsP between As₂ and As₄, and P₂ and P₄ are studied. In preparation for 1.3 μm laser development, the growth parameters for high quality GaInAsP are determined. Low threshold 1.3 μm InAsP/GaInAsP lasers are demonstrated and characterized. Laser processing procedures applicable to the InP material system are also described. Material quality comparisons are made on samples grown by the two prevailing solid phosphide sources; the valved cracker phosphorus source and the GaP effusion cell. Room temperature photoluminescence measurements are used to determine the optimum growth conditions, when using each phosphide source, for a test GaInP/AlGaInP laser core structure. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy is used to compare oxygen contamination of the two phosphide sources and to investigate the influence of cracker temperature on oxygen contamination. The potential of the GaP source to produce white phosphorus deposits in the growth chamber is also explored