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Walukiewicz, W.

Publications and source records attributed to Walukiewicz, W..

14 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2003

Composition Dependence of the Hydrostatic Pressure Coefficients of the Bandgap of ZnSe(1-x)Te(x) Alloys

Optical absorption experiments have been performed using diamond anvil cells to measure the hydrostatic pressure dependence of the fundamental bandgap of ZnSe(sub 1-xTe(sub x) alloys over the entire composition range. The first and second-order pressure coefficients are obtained as a function of composition. Starting from the ZnSe side, the magnitude of both coefficients increases slowly until x approx. 0.7, where the ambient-pressure bandgap reaches a minimum. For larger values of x the coefficients rapidly approach the values of ZnTe. The large deviations of the pressure coefficients from the linear interpolation between ZnSe and ZnTe are explained in terms of the band anticrossing model.

Wu, J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Origin of the Bandgap Bowing in ZNSe(1-x)Te(x) Alloys

Photomodulated reflection and optical absorption spectroscopies were used to measure the composition and hydrostatic pressure dependencies of interband optical transitions in ZnSe(1-x)Te(x) alloys. On the Te-rich side, the bandgap reduction and the reduction in the pressure dependence of the bandgap are well explained by the band anticrossing interaction between the ZnTe conduction band states and the Se localized state located at 2.85 eV above the valence band top of ZnTe. On the Se-rich side, an interaction between the degenerate Gamma valence bands of ZnSe and the localized Te state located at 0.1 eV above the valence band top of ZnSe is proposed to generate the bandgap reduction and the rapid increase of the spin-orbit splitting with increasing Te concentration. A linear interpolation between these two models accounts for the composition and pressure dependencies of the bandgap in the entire composition range.

Walukiewicz, W.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Origin of the Large Bandgap Bowing in Highly Mismatched Semiconductor Alloys

We use a combination of optical and soft x-ray fluorescence techniques to investigate the composition dependence of the band edge energies in ZnSe(1-x)Te(x) and ZnS(1-x)Te(x) alloys. The results reveal entirely different origins of the large bandgap bowing for alloys with small and large Te content. On the Te-rich side, the reduction of the bandgap is well explained by the band anticrossing interaction between the Se or S localized states and the ZnTe conduction band states. On the Se or S-rich side, an interaction between the localized Te states and the degenerate GAMMA valence bands of ZnSe or ZnS is responsible for the bandgap reduction and the rapid increase of the spin-orbit splitting with increasing Te concentration. Results of soft x-ray fluorescence experiments provide direct evidence for the valence band anticrossing interaction. The bandgap bowing over the entire composition range is accounted for by a linear interpolation between the conduction band anticrossing and valence band anticrossing models.

Wu, J.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Band Anticrossing in Highly Mismatched Compound Semiconductor Alloys

Compound semiconductor alloys in which metallic anions are partially replaced with more electronegative isoelectronic atoms have recently attracted significant attention. Group IIIN(x)V(1-x), alloys with a small amount of the electronegative N substituting more metallic column V elements has been the most extensively studied class of such Highly Mismatched Alloys (HMAs). We have shown that many of the unusual properties of the IIIN(x),V(1-x) alloys can be well explained by the Band Anticrossing (BAC) model that describes the electronic structure in terms of an interaction between highly localized levels of substitutional N and the extended states of the host semiconductor matrix. Most recently the BAC model has been also used to explain similar modifications of the electronic band structure observed in Te-rich ZnS(x)Te(l-x) and ZnSe(Y)Te(1-y) alloys. To date studies of HMAs have been limited to materials with relatively small concentrations of highly electronegative atoms. Here we report investigations of the electronic structure of ZnSe(y)Te(1-y) alloys in the entire composition range, 0 less than or equal to y less than or equal to 1. The samples used in this study are bulk ZnSe(y)Te(1-y) crystals grown by either a modified Bridgman method or by physical vapor transport. Photomodulated reflection (PR) spectroscopy was used to measure the composition dependence of optical transitions from the valence band edge and from the spin-orbit split off band to the conduction band. The pressure dependence of the band gap was measured using optical absorption in a diamond anvil cell. We find that the energy of the spin-orbit split off valence band edge does not depend on composition and is located at about 3 eV below the conduction band edge of ZnSe. On the Te-rich side the pressure and the composition dependence of the optical transitions are well explained by the BAC model which describes the downward shift of the conduction band edge in terms of the interaction between localized Se states and the conduction band. On the other hand we show that the large band gap reduction observed on the Se-rich side of the alloy system is a result of an interaction between the localized Te level and the valence bands. This interaction leads to the formation of a Te-like valence band edge that strongly interacts with the light hole valence band. Calculations based on a modified k p model account for the reduction of the band gap and the large increase of the spin-orbit splitting observed in Se-rich ZnSe(y)Te(l-y) alloys. We will also discuss the importance of these new results for understanding of the electronic structure and band offsets in other highly mismatched alloy systems.

Yu, Kin Man↗
NASA NTRS2001

Band Anticrossing in Highly Mismatched Compound Semiconductor Alloys

Compound semiconductor alloys in which metallic anions are partially replaced with more electronegative isoelectronic atoms have recently attracted significant attention. Group IIIN(sub x)V(sub 1-x) alloys with a small amount of the electronegative N substituting more metallic column V elements has been the most extensively studied class of such Highly Mismatched Alloys (HMAs). We have shown that many of the unusual properties of the IIIN(sub x)V(sub 1-x) alloys can be well explained by the Band Anticrossing (BAC) model that describes the electronic structure in terms of an interaction between highly localized levels of substitutional N and the extended states of the host semiconductor matrix. Most recently the BAC model has been also used to explain similar modifications of the electronic band structure observed in Te-rich ZnS(sub x)Te(sub 1-x) and ZnSe(sub y)Te(sub 1-y) alloys. To date studies of HMAs have been limited to materials with relatively small concentrations of highly electronegative atoms. Here we report investigations of the electronic structure of ZnSe(sub y)Te(sub 1-y) alloys in the entire composition range, y between 0 and 1. The samples used in this study are bulk ZnSe(sub y)Te(sub 1-y) crystals grown by either a modified Bridgman method or by physical vapor transport. Photomodulated reflection (PR) spectroscopy was used to measure the composition dependence of optical transitions from the valence band edge and from the spin-orbit split off band to the conduction band. The pressure dependence of the band gap was measured using optical absorption in a diamond anvil cell. We find that the energy of the spin-orbit split off valence band edge does not depend on composition and is located at about 3 eV below the conduction band edge of ZnSe. On the Te-rich side the pressure and the composition dependence of the optical transitions are well explained by the BAC model which describes the downward shift of the conduction band edge in terms of the interaction between localized Se states and the conduction band. On the other hand we show that the large band gap reduction observed on the Se-rich side of the alloy system is a result of an interaction between the localized Te level and the valence bands. This interaction leads to the formation of a Te-like valence band edge that strongly interacts with the light hole valence band. Calculations based on a modified k(sup dot)p model account for the reduction of the band gap and the large increase of the spin-orbit splitting observed in Se-rich ZnSe(sub y)Te(sub 1-y) alloys. We will also discuss the importance of these new results for understanding of the electronic structure and band offsets in other highly mismatched alloy systems.

Yu, Kin Man↗
NASA NTRS1986

Effects of macroscopic inhomogeneities on electron mobility in semi-insulating GaAs

It is shown that defect inhomogeneities of sizes larger than the electron mean free path are responsible for the low values and anomalous temperature dependence of the electron mobility in semi-insulating (SI) GaAs. The room-temperature electron mobility values below about 6000 sq cm/V s cannot be uniquely used for the determination of the concentration of ionized defects, since the contribution from inhomogeneities usually exceeds that from scattering by ionized impurities. The effects of the macroscopically inhomogeneous distribution of residual acceptors and the major deep donor EL2 diminish at elevated temperatures between 600 and 900 K, which offers a means for identification of inhomogeneities, and furthermore explains recently reported steplike mobility versus temperature behavior in SI-GaAs.

Walukiewicz, W.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Electron mobility in modulation-doped heterostructures

A model for electron mobility in a two-dimensional electron gas confined in a triangular well was developed. All major scattering processes (deformation potential and piezoelectric acoustic, polar optical, ionized impurity, and alloy disorder) were included, as well as intrasubband and intersubband scattering. The model is applied to two types of modulation-doped heterostructures, namely GaAs-GaAlAs and In(0.53)Ga(0.47)As-Al(0.52)In(0.48)As. In the former case, phonons and remote ionized impurities ultimately limit the mobility, whereas in the latter, alloy disorder is a predominant scattering process at low temperatures. The calculated mobilities are in very good agreement with recently reported experimental characteristics for both GaAs-Ga(1-x)Al(x)As and In(0.53)Ga(0.47)As-Al(0.52)In(0.48)As modulation-doped heterostructures.

Walukiewicz, W.↗
NASA NTRS1983

On the optical evaluation of the EL2 deep level concentration in semi-insulating GaAs

A practical procedure for the evaluation of the Fermi energy in semi-insulating (SI)GaAs from electrical measurements is presented. This procedure makes it possible to reliably extend the determination of the major deep level (EL2) concentration, by near-infrared absorption measurements, to SIGaAs. Employing this procedure, it is shown that the EL2 concentration in Czochralski-grown GaAs increases monotonically with increasing As/Ga ratio (throughout the conversion from SI n type to semiconducting p-type crystals) rather than abruptly as previously proposed.

Walukiewicz, W.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Characterisation of semi-insulating GaAs

Hole and electron mobilities as functions of temperature and ionised impurity concentration are calculated for GaAs. It is shown that these calculations, when used to analyse electrical properties of semi-insulating GaAs, enable an assessment of the Fermi energy position and ionised impurity concentration to be made. In contrast to previous work, the analysis does not require any phenomenological assumptions.

Walukiewicz, W.↗
NASA NTRS1981

GaAs-oxide interface states - Gigantic photoionization via Auger-like process

Spectral and transient responses of photostimulated current in MOS structures were employed for the study of GaAs-anodic oxide interface states. Discrete deep traps at 0.7 and 0.85 eV below the conduction band were found with concentrations of 5 x 10 to the 12th/sq cm and 7 x 10 to the 11th/sq cm, respectively. These traps coincide with interface states induced on clean GaAs surfaces by oxygen and/or metal adatoms (submonolayer coverage). In contrast to surfaces with low oxygen coverage, the GaAs-thick oxide interfaces exhibited a high density (about 10 to the 14th/sq cm) of shallow donors and acceptors. Photoexcitation of these donor-acceptor pairs led to a gigantic photoionization of deep interface states with rates 1000 times greater than direct transitions into the conduction band. The gigantic photoionization is explained on the basis of energy transfer from excited donor-acceptor pairs to deep states.

Lagowski, J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

GaAs-oxide interface states - A gigantic photoionization effect and its implications to the origin of these states

Gigantic photoionization was discovered on GaAs-oxide interfaces leading to the discharge of deep surface states with rates exceeding 1000 times those of photoionization transitions to the conduction band. It exhibits a peak similar to acceptor-donor transitions and is explained as due to energy transfer from photo-excited donor-acceptor pairs to deep surface states. This new process indicates the presence of significant concentrations of shallow donor and acceptor levels not recognized in previous interface models.

Lagowski, J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Determination of carrier concentration and compensation microprofiles in GaAs

Simultaneous microprofiling of semiconductor free carrier, donor, and acceptor concentrations was achieved for the first time from the absolute value of the free carrier absorption coefficient and its wavelength dependence determined by IR absorption in a scanning mode. Employing Ge- and Si-doped melt-grown GaAs, striking differences were found between the variations of electron concentration and those of ionized impurity concentrations. These results showed clearly that the electronic characteristics of this material are controlled by amphoteric doping and deviations from stoichiometry rather than by impurity segregation.

Jastrzebski, L.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Electron mobility and free-carrier absorption in GaAs - Determination of the compensation ratio

Theoretical calculations of electron mobility and free-carrier absorption in n-type GaAs at room temperature were carried out taking into consideration all major scattering processes. It was found that satisfactory agreement between theoretical and experimental results on free-carrier absorption is obtained only when the effect of compensation is quantitatively taken into account. In conjunction with experimental studies it is shown that the electron mobility (for n greater than 10 to the 15th per cu cm) and free-carrier absorption (for n greater than 10 to the 16th per cu cm) are sufficiently sensitive to the ionized impurity concentration to provide a reliable means for determining the compensation ratio. Convenient procedures are presented for the determination of the compensation ratio from the free-carrier absorption coefficient and from the computed values of room-temperature electron mobility. Values of the compensation ratio obtained by these two procedures are in good agreement provided the carrier-concentration variations in the material are not appreciably greater than 10%.

Walukiewicz, W.↗