Comparison of the thermal interdiffusion phenomena in InGaAs/GaAs and InGaAs/AlGaAs strained heterostructures

• Published in: Surfaces and interfaces Vol. 29; p. 101766
• Main Authors: Vasilkova, E.I., Klochkov, A.N., Vinichenko, A.N., Kargin, N.I., Vasil'evskii, I.S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-04-2022
• Subjects: InGaAs; Interdiffusion; PHEMT; Strained superlattice; Thermal annealing; InGaAs; Interdiffusion; Thermal annealing; Strained superlattice; PHEMT
• ISSN: 2468-0230; 2468-0230
• DOI: 10.1016/j.surfin.2022.101766

The effect of 5 min high-temperature thermal annealing on InGaAs/GaAs strained superlattices and InGaAs/AlGaAs PHEMT structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy was studied using the Hall measurements, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and high-resolution X-ray diffraction. InGaAs/GaAs superlattices are shown to undergo photoluminescence peak energy blueshift after 700 °C annealing and distinguishable heterointerface roughening after 800 °C annealing. The magnitude of quantum well smoothing, caused by annealing induced III-group atom interdiffusion, was estimated experimentally using secondary ion mass spectrometry and X-ray reflectivity, and calculated from the modelled electron energy spectra in the diffused wells. InGaAs/AlGaAs PHEMTs appear to be more sensitive to annealing, demonstrating optical and structural changes of a similar nature to InGaAs/GaAs heterostructures, as well as transport properties degradation, at a wider range of annealing temperatures starting 500 °C.