Composition modulation in GaInNAs quantum wells: Comparison of experiment and theory

Abstract

Composition modulation observed in GaInNAs quantum wells imposes an important handicap to their potential application within optical components, particularly as the indium and nitrogen contents are increased to reach longer wavelengths. In this paper, we compare our experimental results of phase separation in GaInNAs quantum wells grown at different temperatures with recent theoretical models of spinodal decomposition from the literature. This comparison has shown that the regular solution approximation, which explains the higher composition modulation compared to GaInAs samples, provides a more appropriate explanation of GaInNAs decomposition than the usual delta lattice-parameter approximation. Transmission electron microscopy shows no composition modulation contrasts with the chemical sensitive 002 dark field reflection and a strong increase in the intensity of the strain contrasts observed with 220 bright field reflection as the growth temperature increases from 360to460°C. These observations can be explained by an uncoupling between N and In composition profiles forming separate In-rich and N-rich regions according to the regular solution approximation model. We therefore believe that the compositional fluctuations in GaInNAs are not only due to GaInAs decomposition, but that an uncoupled modulation of the III and V elements is also present.