Impurity-induced layer disordering in In0.5(Alx Ga1−x)0.5P-InGaP quantum-well heterostructures: Visible-spectrum-buried heterostructure lasers

Diffusion of Si into quantum-well heterostructures and superlattices employing the high gap III-V quaternary system Iny (AlxGa1−x )1−yP is shown to result in impurity-induced layer disordering. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and photoluminescence data indicate that the diffusion of Si into an InAlP-InGaP superlattice grown lattice matched on GaAs (y≊0.5) results in the intermixing of the layers, thus forming an alloy of average composition. Buried-heterostructure lasers are fabricated using Si layer disordering of In0.5 (Alx Ga1−x )0.5 P p-n quantum-well heterostructures. The disorder-defined stripe-geometry diode lasers operate pulsed at 300 K near 6400 Å. Continuous wave operation at λ∼6255 Å is achieved at −47 °C.