Effect of Aluminum on the Amphoteric Behavior of Silicon in Ga1−xAlxAs

Abstract

The effect of the Al concentration in the melt on the transition temperature at which Si changes from an n‐ to p‐type dopant during the liquid‐phase epitaxial growth of Si‐doped Ga_1−xAl_xAs layers has been investigated as a function of the substrate's orientation. It was found that the transition temperature decreased logarithmically with increasing Al‐to‐As atom fraction ratio in the melt for both (111)‐Ga and (111)‐As oriented substrates. The effect was more pronounced for the (111)‐As oriented substrates. However, electroluminescent diodes fabricated from the grown layers showed no discernible difference in characteristics as a function of the substrate's orientation.