Photoluminescence from InSb1−xBix alloys at extended wavelengths on InSb

Abstract

The incorporation of dilute concentrations of bismuth into traditional III–V alloys produces significant reductions in bandgap energy presenting unique opportunities in strain and bandgap engineering. However, the disparity between the ideal growth conditions for the host matrix and those required for substitutional bismuth incorporation has caused the material quality of these III–V–Bi alloys to lag behind that of conventional III–V semiconductors. InSb1−xBix, while experimentally underexplored, is a promising candidate for high-quality III–V–Bi alloys due to the relatively similar ideal growth temperatures for InSb and III–Bi materials. By identifying a highly kinetically limited growth regime, we demonstrate the growth of high-quality InSb1−xBix by molecular beam epitaxy. X-ray diffraction and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) measurements of the alloy's bismuth concentration, coupled with smooth surface morphologies as measured by atomic force microscopy, suggest unity-sticking bismuth incorporation for a range of bismuth concentrations from 0.8% to 1.5% as measured by RBS. In addition, the first photoluminescence was observed from InSb1−xBix and demonstrated wavelength extension up to 7.6  μm at 230 K, with a bismuth-induced bandgap reduction of ∼29 meV/% Bi. Furthermore, we report the temperature dependence of the bandgap of InSb1−xBix and observed behavior consistent with that of a traditional III–V alloy. The results presented highlight the potential of InSb1−xBix as an alternative emerging candidate for accessing the longwave-infrared.