Role of dangling bonds and antisite defects in rapid and gradual III-V laser degradation

Based on calculations of deep trap energies, it is proposed that the rapid (∼1 h) degradation of high-radiance (≳1018 carriers/cm3) Ga-rich III-V semiconductor lasers proceeds through self-reproducing dangling bond deep traps generated as a result of nonradiative recombination. This degradation mechanism can be inhibited by constructing lasers from alloys whose dangling bond energy levels do not lie within the fundamental band gap. The gradual (∼106 h) III-V laser degradation is tentatively associated with recombination events at an anion-on-cation-site deep trap.