Enhancement of group III atom interdiffusion by nondopant oxygen implants in In0.53Ga0.47As-In0.52Al0.48As multiquantum wells

Abstract

We show here that the implants of oxygen, a basically nondopant impurity, after adequate high-temperature annealings (for example, 750 °C, 1 h furnace anneal) lead to a significant interdiffusion of group III atoms in molecular beam epitaxy grown In0.53Ga0.47As-In0.52Al0.48As multiquantum wells (MQWs). Both photoluminescence and Auger electron spectroscopy measurements (coupled to Ar+ ion etching) have been employed to monitor disordering in MQWs implanted with oxygen (5×1013 to 5×1014 ions cm−2) and subsequently annealed using either rapid thermal anneals or long duration furnace anneals. The role of oxygen to enhance group III atom (Al, Ga, and In) interdiffusion is unambiguously established and a tentative explanation based on a possible migration of oxygen in these MQWs is proposed and dissussed.