Impurity-induced layer disordering and hydrogenation in the indium aluminum gallium phosphide material system: Visible spectrum semiconductor lasers

Dallesasse, John Michael

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/18957 Copy

Description

Title

Impurity-induced layer disordering and hydrogenation in the indium aluminum gallium phosphide material system: Visible spectrum semiconductor lasers

Author(s)

Dallesasse, John Michael

Issue Date

1991

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Holonyak, Nick, Jr.

Department of Study

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Discipline

Electrical Engineering

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Engineering, Electronics and Electrical
• Physics, Condensed Matter
• Physics, Optics

Language

eng

Abstract

• The development of visible-spectrum semiconductor lasers is of immense economic and practical importance. Because of the extremely high efficiency of semiconductor lasers, coherent visible light sources can be made with extremely low power requirements. Applications for such sources include high-density optical storage units and optical communications. Additionally, the use of multiple-stripe arrays makes high-power ($\gg$200 mW per facet) coherent semiconductor light sources a possibility.
• In this work, various aspects of the problems involved in constructing visible-spectrum semiconductor lazers are discussed. First, the difficulties in obtaining reliable devices near the direct-indirect crossover of the $\rm Al\sb{x}Ga\sb{1-x}$As-GaAs material system are discussed. Hydrolysis of high Al-content buried layers via interaction of water vapor in the air with the crystal at pinholes and cleaved edges is found to result in slow decomposition of QWH material. Next, the $\rm In\sb{1-y}(Al\sb{x} Ga\sb{1-x})\sb{y}$P material system is put forth as the material system of choice for the construction of visible-spectrum semiconductor lasers. Data are shown on the continuous-wave (cw) room-temperture operation of oxide-stripe lasers.
• Two important techniques for the realization of high performance device operation are next described. The first of these, impurity-induced layer disordering (IILD), is useful for the construction of low-threshold single-stripe lasers, high-power multistripe lasers, and high beam-quality devices. The disordering of $\rm In\sb{1-y} (Al\sb{x} Ga\sb{1-x})\sb{y}$P heterolayers via Si and Ge diffusion is first examined via shallow-angle slant cross-sectioning, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), and photoluminescence (PL) on as-grown and disordered InAlP-InGaP superlattice (SL) crystals. Disordering via Si diffusion is then applied to the fabrication of buried heterostructure visible-spectrum lasers. These devices operate at room temperature under pulsed excitation ($\lambda$ $\sim$ 6395 A) and cw at $-$47$\sp\circ$C ($\lambda$ $\sim$ 6255 A).
• Finally, hydrogenation is examined in the $\rm In\sb{1-y} (Al\sb{x} Ga\sb{1-x}) \sb{y}$P material system. This technique allows the construction of gain-guided single- and multiple-stripe lasers. The effect of hydrogen plasma exposure at elevated temperatures on the fundamental material properties is first examined. Photoluminescence is used to examine recombination efficiency, electrochemical carrier concentration profiling is used to examine carrier passivation, and scanning electron microscopy is used to look at surface degradation. Hydrogenation is then applied to the construction of single-stripe gain-guided lasers. These devices operate cw room temperature at a wavelength of 6395 A.

Type of Resource

text

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/18957

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 1991 Dallesasse, John Michael

Owning Collections