- Title
- Towards the development of InAs/GaInSb strained-layer superlattices for infrared detection
- Creator
- Botha, Lindsay
- Subject
- Gallium arsenide semiconductors
- Subject
- Indium alloys
- Subject
- Compound semiconductors
- Subject
- Organometallic compounds
- Subject
- Infrared detectors
- Subject
- Infrared technology
- Subject
- Superlattices as materials
- Date Issued
- 2008
- Date
- 2008
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MSc
- Identifier
- vital:10526
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/713
- Identifier
- Gallium arsenide semiconductors
- Identifier
- Indium alloys
- Identifier
- Compound semiconductors
- Identifier
- Organometallic compounds
- Identifier
- Infrared detectors
- Identifier
- Infrared technology
- Identifier
- Superlattices as materials
- Description
- This study focuses on the development of InAs/GaInSb strained-layer superlattice structures by metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD), and deals with two aspects of the development of InAs/GaInSb SLS’s by MOCVD viz. the deposition of nano-scale (~100 Å) GaInSb layers, and the electrical characterization of unstrained InAs. The first part of this work aims to study the MOCVD growth of GaInSb layers in terms of deposition rate and indium incorporation on the nano-scale. This task is approached by first optimizing the growth of relatively thick (~2 μm) epitaxial films, and then assuming similar growth parameters during nano-scale deposition. The GaInSb layers were grown as part of GaInSb/GaSb quantum well (QW) structures. By using this approach, the GaInSb QW’s (~100 Å) could be characterized with the use of photoluminescence spectroscopy, which, when used in conjunction with transmission electron microscopy and/or X-ray diffractomery, proves useful in the analysis of such small scale deposition. It is shown that the growth rate of GaInSb on the nano-scale approaches the nominal growth rates determined from thick (~2 μm) GaInSb calibration layers. The In incorporation efficiency in nano-layers, however, was markedly lower than what was predicted by the GaInSb calibration layers. This reduction in indium incorporation could be the result of the effects of strain on In incorporation. The choice of substrate orientation for QW deposition was also studied. QW structures were grown simultaneously on both (100) and 2°off (100) GaSb(Te) substrates, and it is shown that growth on non-vicinal substrates is more conducive to the deposition of high quality QW structures. The second part of this study focuses on the electrical characterization of unstrained InAs. It is long known that conventional Hall measurements cannot be used to accurately characterize InAs epitaxial layers, as a result of parallel conduction resulting from surface and/or interface effects. This study looks at extracting the surface and bulk electrical properties of n-type InAs thin films directly from variable magnetic field Hall measurements. For p-type InAs, the situation is complicated by the relatively large electron to hole mobility ratio of InAs which tends to conceal the p-type nature of InAs thin films from Hall measurements. Here, this effect is illustrated by way of theoretical simulation of Hall data.
- Format
- 92 leaves
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Science
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
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