Interdiffusion of the group-III sublattice in In-Ga-As-P/In-Ga-As-P and In-Ga-As/In-Ga-As heterostructures

Abstract

We present the results of a photoluminescence study of interdiffusion on the group-III sublattice in the ternary In-Ga-As/In-Ga-As and the quaternary In-Ga-As-P/In-Ga-As-P systems, both grown off InP substrates. We have shown that the diffusion obeys Fick’s law, and that over the temperature range 950 °C–650 °C, the diffusion coefficients of both the ternary and quaternary materials can be described by the equation D=${\mathit{D}}_0$exp(-${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{A}}$/kT), where ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{A}}$=3.4±0.2 eV and ${\mathit{D}}_0$=3.9 ${\mathrm{cm}}^2$/s. Within experimental error these values are identical to those previously measured for interdiffusion on the group V in the same material system.