Enhanced photoluminescence from AlGaAs/GaAs superlattice gratings fabricated by Si FIB implantation

Abstract

ABSTRACTResults are presented on the fabrication of optical gratings on an Al0.3Ga0.7As/GaAs superlattice (SL) with equal 3.5 nm barrier and well widths, by using locally FIB-enhanced mixing. As the first step, the mechanism of the mixing was studied. Si++ was accelerated to 50 kV and lOOkV and implanted at doses ranging from 1013 to 1015/cm2. A rapid thermal anneal of 10 s at 950°C was utilized. The average Al inter-diffusion coefficient and length were calculated as a function of FIB dose from SIMS depth profiling. The mixing was significantly enhanced by the FIB implantation. The ion dose as low as l×1014/cm2 followed by RTA yields a mixing parameter of ∼90% and results in a two-order of magnitude increase in the diffusion coefficient, to a value of 4.5×10−14cm2/sec, in contrast to 1.3×10−16cm2/sec from RTA-only. The maximum mixing occurred in the region where neither Si ions nor vacancies have their maximum concentration. Instead, it coincides with the location of the positive maximum of the second derivative of the vacancy concentration profile. This fact suggests that in the time frame of RTA and with low dose, the diffusion of nonequilibrium point defects plays a major role in the process of enhancing Al-Ga interdiffusion. DBR optical gratings, consisting of thousands of spacing lines with 350nm period, were fabricated with a lOOkV FIB dose of 2×1013 andl×1014/cm2. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra were taken from the grating region as well as the unimplanted superlattice region. The PL intensity from cavity region of the DBR was about 16 times higher than that from the original SL. This PL enhancement was verified to occur in the cavity region only by spatially scanning over the entire sample. A possible mechanism for this PL enhancement is optical feedback provided by the gratings.