Cathodoluminescence Characterization of Dilute Nitride GaNSbAs Alloys

• Published in: Journal of electronic materials Vol. 47; no. 9; pp. 5061 - 5067
• Main Authors: Navarro, A., Martinez, O., Galiana, B., Lombardero, I., Ochoa, M., García, I., Gabás, M., Ballesteros, C., Jimenez, J., Algora, C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.09.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: 17th Conference on Defects-Recognition; Annealing; Antimony; Arsenic; Cathodoluminescence; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Cross-sections; Dilution; Electronics and Microelectronics; Energy measurement; Epitaxial growth; Imaging and Physics in Semiconductors (DRIP XVII); Instrumentation; Materials Science; Molecular beam epitaxy; Molecular chains; Optical and Electronic Materials; Overpressure; Photovoltaic cells; Quaternary alloys; Red shift; Solar cells; Solid State Physics; Topical Collection: 17th Conference on Defects (DRIP XVII); cathodoluminescence; Dilute nitrides; solar cells; annealing; GaNSbAs
• ISSN: 0361-5235; 1543-186X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11664-018-6325-3

The effects of ex situ annealing in N ambient and in situ annealing in As ambient on GaNSbAs/GaAs structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy were investigated by low temperature cross-sectional cathodoluminescence (CL). The amount and distribution of Sb was measured by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The cross-sectional CL analysis of all samples reveals a shift of the near band edge (NBE) emission along the growth axis, presumably associated with a non-uniform incorporation of Sb during the growth process, in agreement with the Sb distribution measured by EDS in the as - grown sample. The NBE emission in the annealed samples presents a redshift with respect to the as - grown sample. This effect might be explained by a redistribution/activation of N in the GaNSbAs lattice since the Sb distribution measured by EDS does not reveal significant changes, within the error margin, with respect to the as - grown sample. The in situ annealed in the As overpressure sample shows the best properties for solar cells applications, i.e., a NBE peak position close to 1.0 eV and the lowest full width at half maximum of this emission.