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

With the rapid development of technologies for the fabrication of, as well as applications of low-dimensional structures, the demands on characterization techniques increase. Spatial resolution is especially crucial, where techniques for probing the properties of very small volumes, in the extreme case quantum structures, are essential. In this article we review the state-of-the-art in local probe techniques for studying the properties of nanostructures, concentrating on methods involving monitoring the properties related to photon emission. These techniques are sensitive enough to reveal the electronic structure of low-dimensional semiconductor structures and are, therefore, able to give detailed information about the geometrical structure, including fabrication-related inhomogeneities within an ensemble of structures. The local luminescence probe techniques discussed in this review article can be divided into four categories according to the excitation source: (i) spatially localized microphotoluminescence spectroscopy using either strong focusing or masking; (ii) near-field optical microscopy to reach below the diffraction limitation of far-field optics, by either exciting, detecting, or both exciting and detecting in the near field; (iii) cathodoluminescence using focused energetic electrons in an electron microscope; and (iv) scanning tunneling luminescence, using low-energy electrons injected or extracted from the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope.

Local probe techniques for luminescence studies of low-dimensional semiconductor structures

Epitaxial layers of GaxIn1−xP with x≊052 have been grown by organometallic vapor‐phase epitaxy on GaAs substrates misoriented from the (001) plane in the [110] direction by angles ϑm, of 0°, 3°, 6°, and 9° For each substrate orientation growth rates rg of 1, 2, and 4 μm/h have been used The ordering was characterized using transmission electron diffraction (TED), dark‐field imaging, and photoluminescence The (110) cross‐sectional images show domains of the Cu‐Pt structure separated by antiphase boundaries (APBs) The domain size and shape and the degree of order are found to be strongly affected by both the substrate misorientation and the growth rate For example, lateral domain dimensions range from 50 A for layers grown with rg=4 μm/h and ϑm=0° to 2500 A for rg=1 μm/h and ϑm=9° The APBs generally propagate from the substrate/epilayer interface to the top surface at an angle to the (001) plane that increases dramatically as the angle of misorientation increases The angle is nearly independent of growth rate From the superspot intensities in the TED patterns, the degree of order appears to be a maximum for ϑm≊5° Judging from the reduction in photoluminescence peak energy caused by ordering, the maximum degree of order appears to occur at ϑm≊4°

Effects of substrate misorientation and growth rate on ordering in GaInP

The integrated photoluminescence (PL) intensities of both ordered and disordered epilayers of InGaP grown on GaAs have been measured as a function of temperature. The highest PL efficiency occurs in the most disordered sample. We find that the PL intensities can drop from 2 to almost 4 orders of magnitude between 12 and 280 K. The samples show an Arrhenius behavior characterized by two activation energies. Below 100 K the activation energies lie in the region of 10–20 meV. Above 100 K the activation energy is approximately 50 meV except in the most disordered sample where it increases to 260 meV. We conclude that the low‐temperature PL efficiency is most likely controlled by carrier thermalization from spatial fluctuations of the band edges followed by nonradiative recombination. At higher temperatures the PL efficiency is dominated by a nonradiative path whose characteristic activation energy and transition probability depend upon the degree of sublattice ordering.

Temperature dependence of the photoluminescence intensity of ordered and disordered In0.48Ga0.52P

In order to realize a clean energy society by using renewable energies, high-performance solar cells are a very attractive proposition. The development of high-performance solar cells offers a promising pathway toward achieving high power per unit cost for many applications. As state-of-the-art of single-junction solar cells are approaching the Shockley–Queisser limit of 32%–33%, an important strategy to raise the efficiency of solar cells further is stacking solar cell materials with different bandgaps to absorb different colors of the solar spectrum. The III–V semiconductor materials provide a relatively convenient system for fabricating multi-junction solar cells providing semiconductor materials that effectively span the solar spectrum as demonstrated by world record efficiencies (39.2% under one-sun and 47.1% under concentration) for six-junction solar cells. This success has inspired attempts to achieve the same with other materials like perovskites for which lower manufacturing costs may be achieved. Recently, Si multi-junction solar cells such as III–V/Si, II–VI/Si, chalcopyrite/Si, and perovskite/Si have become popular and are getting closer to economic competitiveness. Here, we discuss the perspectives of multi-junction solar cells from the viewpoint of efficiency and low-cost potential based on scientific and technological arguments and possible market applications. In addition, this article provides a brief overview of recent developments with respect to III–V multi-junction solar cells, III–V/Si, II–VI/Si, perovskite/Si tandem solar cells, and some new ideas including so-called 3rd generation concepts.

Multi-junction solar cells paving the way for super high-efficiency

Ga0.51In0.49P layers have been grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy on GaAs substrates with [110]‐oriented grooves on the surface that have an important effect on the formation of Cu‐Pt ordered structures during growth. In this work, the groove shape is demonstrated to be critically important. For the optimum groove shape, single domains of the (111) and (111) variants of the Cu‐Pt ordered structure are formed on the two sides of the groove. Shallow grooves produce large domains on each side of the groove containing small domains of the other variant. For deep grooves, only a single variant is formed on each side of the groove, but the domains are small. For substrates with deep grooves on a GaAs substrate misoriented by 9°, every groove contains large regions of highly ordered and completely disordered material separated by a few micrometers. This allows a direct determination of the effect of ordering on the band gap of the material using cathodoluminescence spectroscopy, allowing the first dir...

Control and characterization of ordering in GaInP

GaxIn1-x P layers with x ≈ 0.5 have been grown by atmospheric pressure organometallic vapor phase epitaxy on GaAs substrates with 10 micron wide, [110]-oriented grooves produced photolithographically on the surface. The [110] steps and the misorientation produced at the edges of the grooves have been found to have important effects on the formation of the Cu-Pt ordered structure (ordering on {111} planes) in the GaInP layers during growth. In this work, the groove shape is demonstrated to be critically important. For the optimum groove shape, with a maximum angle to the (001) surface of between 10 and 16°, single domains of the (-111) and (1-11) variants of the Cu-Pt ordered structure are formed on the two sides of the groove. Shallow (≤0.25 μm deep) grooves, with maximum angles of 1 μm2 cross-sectional area and several mm long) regions of highly ordered and completely disordered material separated by no more than a few microns. This allows a direct determination of the effect of ordering on the bandgap of the material using cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy. The 10K photoluminescence (PL) consists of three distinct peaks at 1.94, 1.88, and 1.84 eV. High resolution CL images reveal that the peaks come from different regions of the sample. The high energy peak comes from the disordered material and the low energy peak comes from the large ordered domains. Electron microprobe measurements of the solid composition demonstrate that the shift in emission energy is not due to changes in solid composition. This is the firstdirect verification that ordering causes a reduction in bandgap of any III/V alloy. Decreasing the Ga0.5In0.5P growth rate from the normal 2.0 to 0.5 μ/h is found to enhance ordering in layers grown on planar GaAs substrates. Transmission electron diffraction results show that the domain size also increases significantly. For material grown on exactly (001)-oriented substrates, a pronounced [001] streaking of the superlattice spots is observed. This is correlated with the presence of a dense pattern of fine lines lying in the (001) plane in the transmission electron micrographs. The PL of this highly ordered material consists of a single peak that shifts to higher energy by > 110 meV as the excitation intensity is increased by several orders of magnitude.

S. T. Pu

Papers

Control and characterization of ordering in GaInP

Control of ordering in GaInP and effect on bandgap energy

Relaxation behavior at high temperature associated with oxygen vacancy in the Sr1-x(LiCe)x/2.5Bi2Nb2O9 ceramics