We present a comprehensive, up-to-date compilation of band parameters for the technologically important III–V zinc blende and wurtzite compound semiconductors: GaAs, GaSb, GaP, GaN, AlAs, AlSb, AlP, AlN, InAs, InSb, InP, and InN, along with their ternary and quaternary alloys. Based on a review of the existing literature, complete and consistent parameter sets are given for all materials. Emphasizing the quantities required for band structure calculations, we tabulate the direct and indirect energy gaps, spin-orbit, and crystal-field splittings, alloy bowing parameters, effective masses for electrons, heavy, light, and split-off holes, Luttinger parameters, interband momentum matrix elements, and deformation potentials, including temperature and alloy-composition dependences where available. Heterostructure band offsets are also given, on an absolute scale that allows any material to be aligned relative to any other.

Band parameters for III–V compound semiconductors and their alloys

Low-resistivity p-type GaN films, which were obtained by N2-ambient thermal annealing or low-energy electron-beam irradiation (LEEBI) treatment, showed a resistivity as high as 1×106 Ωcm after NH3-ambient thermal annealing at temperatures above 600°C. In the case of N2-ambient thermal annealing at temperatures between room temperature and 1000°C, the low-resistivity p-type GaN films showed no change in resistivity, which was almost constant between 2 Ωcm and 8 Ωcm. These results indicate that atomic hydrogen produced by NH3 dissociation at temperatures above 400°C is related to the hole compensation mechanism. A hydrogenation process whereby acceptor-H neutral complexes are formed in p-type GaN films was proposed. The formation of acceptor-H neutral complexes causes hole compensation, and deep-level and weak blue emissions in photoluminescence.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1143/JJAP.31.1258/pdf

Hole Compensation Mechanism of P-Type GaN Films

Recent advances in nonsilica fiber technology have prompted the development of suitable materials for devices operating beyond 155 mu m The III-V ternaries and quaternaries (AlGaIn)(AsSb) lattice matched to GaSb seem to be the obvious choice and have turned out to be promising candidates for high speed electronic and long wavelength photonic devices Consequently, there has been tremendous upthrust in research activities of GaSb-based systems As a matter of fact, this compound has proved to be an interesting material for both basic and applied research At present, GaSb technology is in its infancy and considerable research has to be carried out before it can be employed for large scale device fabrication This article presents an up to date comprehensive account of research carried out hitherto It explores in detail the material aspects of GaSb starting from crystal growth in bulk and epitaxial form, post growth material processing to device feasibility An overview of the lattice, electronic, transport, optical and device related properties is presented Some of the current areas of research and development have been critically reviewed and their significance for both understanding the basic physics as well as for device applications are addressed These include the role of defects and impurities on the structural, optical and electrical properties of the material, various techniques employed for surface and bulk defect passivation and their effect on the device characteristics, development of novel device structures, etc Several avenues where further work is required in order to upgrade this III-V compound for optoelectronic devices are listed It is concluded that the present day knowledge in this material system is sufficient to understand the basic properties and what should be more vigorously pursued is their implementation for device fabrication (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics

The physics and technology of gallium antimonide: An emerging optoelectronic material

The discovery of the quantum Hall effect (QHE)1,2 in two-dimensional electronic systems has given topology a central role in condensed matter physics. Although the possibility of generalizing the QHE to three-dimensional (3D) electronic systems3,4 was proposed decades ago, it has not been demonstrated experimentally. Here we report the experimental realization of the 3D QHE in bulk zirconium pentatelluride (ZrTe5) crystals. We perform low-temperature electric-transport measurements on bulk ZrTe5 crystals under a magnetic field and achieve the extreme quantum limit, where only the lowest Landau level is occupied, at relatively low magnetic fields. In this regime, we observe a dissipationless longitudinal resistivity close to zero, accompanied by a well-developed Hall resistivity plateau proportional to half of the Fermi wavelength along the field direction. This response is the signature of the 3D QHE and strongly suggests a Fermi surface instability driven by enhanced interaction effects in the extreme quantum limit. By further increasing the magnetic field, both the longitudinal and Hall resistivity increase considerably and display a metal-insulator transition, which represents another magnetic-field-driven quantum phase transition. Our findings provide experimental evidence of the 3D QHE and a promising platform for further exploration of exotic quantum phases and transitions in 3D systems.

Three-dimensional quantum Hall effect and metal–insulator transition in ZrTe 5

Slow photoconductivity transients were comprehensively studied in ZnO films prepared by spray pyrolysis of the zinc-nitrate solution. Surface charge controlled the film conductivity, and it was possible to reversibly change the conductivity by many orders of magnitude using short-term annealing in hydrogen and oxygen. Under illumination, the conductivity of as-grown films may increase by several orders of magnitude, depending on the dark conductivity. Photoconductivity was due to the capture of nonequilibrium holes at surface oxygen states to produce an equivalent number of excess electrons in the conduction band. Reverse process of the photoconductivity relaxation is determined by an electron tunneling mechanism to the surface oxygen states.

Carrier mobility and density contributions to photoconductivity transients in polycrystalline ZnO films

The fundamental absorption of GaSb, experimentally investigated by optical transmission measurements performed in the temperature range 9--300 K on nominally undoped molecular-beam-epitaxy-grown GaSb layers, is compared to theory. Calculations related to a band-to-band optical transition theory based on the models of Kane and Elliott, considering the band nonparabolicity and the electron-hole (exciton) interaction effects, respectively, show excellent agreement with experimental results. The role of different contributions to absorption coefficient is discussed.

Optical absorption near the fundamental absorption edge in GaSb

Electrical and photoluminescence properties of undoped GaSb prepared by molecular beam epitaxy and atomic layer molecular beam epitaxy

The valence band discontinuity of the lattice matched ${\mathrm{In}}_{048}{\mathrm{Ga}}_{052}\mathrm{P}∕\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{As}$ heterostructure was determined through a careful analysis of the temperature and frequency dependence of the admittance of ${p}^{+}∕\mathrm{MQW}∕{n}^{+}$ structures, formed by a nominally undoped $\mathrm{In}\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{P}∕\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{As}$ multiple quantum well region, interposed between ${p}^{+}$ and ${n}^{+}$ GaAs layers The heterostructures were grown through metal organic vapor phase epitaxy by using tertiary butyl arsine and tertiary butyl phosphine as alternative precursors for the V-group elements The growth conditions were optimized for obtaining sharp interfaces and negligible ordering effects in the cation sublattice Accounting for the temperature dependence of the Fermi energy and the calculated confining energy $(10\phantom{\rule{03em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV})$ of the heavy holes in the wells, a valence band offset $\ensuremath{\Delta}{E}_{V}=(356\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5)\phantom{\rule{03em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV}$ was derived from the temperature variation of the resonance frequency at which the isothermal conductance over frequency $G(\ensuremath{\omega})∕\ensuremath{\omega}$ curves show a maximum The experimental uncertainty of this result is significantly low if compared with the wide range $(240--400\phantom{\rule{03em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV})$ of the previously reported $\ensuremath{\Delta}{E}_{V}$ values By considering the band gap difference between InGaP and GaAs, a conduction band offset $\ensuremath{\Delta}{E}_{C}=119\phantom{\rule{03em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV}$ was estimated The accuracy of the experimental procedure and the reliability of the main assumptions of the admittance spectroscopy measurements were accurately checked The obtained results were discussed in light of the large and growing amount of literature data by taking into account the influence of the growth conditions on the physical properties of the $\mathrm{In}\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{P}∕\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{As}$ quantum wells

Determination of the valence band offset of MOVPE-grown In 0.48 Ga 0.52 P ∕ Ga As multiple quantum wells by admittance spectroscopy

Electron mobility and low-field transverse physical magnetoresistance were measured in Te-doped GaSb layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The samples investigated had electron densities ranging from to ; measurements were taken in the 8 - 300 K temperature range. The high mobility values demonstrate that SnTe can be used as a source of Te doping with results comparable with GaTe. A detailed analysis of the magnetoresistance data demonstrates that in samples with high electron density the magnetoresistance is mainly due to mixed conduction of electrons in both and L conduction band minima: the analysis gives the temperature dependence of the and mobilities and of the energy separation between L and edges. is 82 meV at 300 K and 67 meV at 8 K and exhibits a non-monotonic behaviour within the temperature range explored. In samples with low electron density the magnetoresistance is mainly due to the energy distribution of carriers in the valley.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0268-1242/11/11/004/pdf

Electron mobility and physical magnetoresistance in n-type GaSb layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy

The molecular beam epitaxy and the characterization of high-quality, non-intentionally doped and Te-doped GaSb are reported. The undoped layers have 77 K Hall hole concentrations p = 1−3 × 10 15 cm −3 and mobilities μ = 3000−5600 cm 2 V −1 s −1 , which compare favourably with the best results reported so far. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements at 70 K point to a relatively low concentration of intrinsic GaSb antisite defects, responsible for the p-type behaviour. A simultaneous fit of μ and p was performed in the 40–300 K temperature range by using a model with two acceptors, one of them having two charge states; the levels have energies consistent with those deduced by PL experiments. n-Doping was obtained approximately in the range 1 × 10 16 −1 × 10 18 cm −3 by using Te from an SnTe source. The mobility values are definitely higher than those reported in the literature and obtained with the same source, and they slightly exceed those achieved in GaSb doped using a GaTe Te source. A procedure for the analysis of electrical data has been set up and tested for n-GaSb with free carrier concentrations lower than a few 1017 cm−3.

C. Ghezzi

Papers

Optical absorption near the fundamental absorption edge in GaSb

Electrical and photoluminescence properties of undoped GaSb prepared by molecular beam epitaxy and atomic layer molecular beam epitaxy

Determination of the valence band offset of MOVPE-grown In 0.48 Ga 0.52 P ∕ Ga As multiple quantum wells by admittance spectroscopy

Electron mobility and physical magnetoresistance in n-type GaSb layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Preparation of GaSb by molecular beam epitaxy and electrical and photoluminescence characterization