Recombination model for heterostructure interfaces

• Published in: Journal of applied physics 1993-11, Vol.74 (9), p.5748-5753
• Main Authors: MÜLLENBORN, M, HAEGEL, N. M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Charge carriers: generation, recombination, lifetime, trapping, mean free paths; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronic transport in interface structures; Electronic transport phenomena in thin films and low-dimensional structures; Exact sciences and technology; Iii-v semiconductor-to-semiconductor contacts, p-n junctions, and heterojunctions; Iii-v semiconductors; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of specific thin films; Physics
• ISSN: 0021-8979; 1089-7550
• DOI: 10.1063/1.354193

Recombination and generation at slightly mismatched heterojunctions under optical excitation conditions are investigated with a model based on the ambipolar diffusion equation. This model is used to fit experimental photoluminescence power dependencies in order to analyze interface-related parameters as a function of lattice mismatch. Power dependencies are derived for photoluminescence of directly excited surface layers and photoluminescence generated indirectly by carrier diffusion or photon recycling through the interface region. Experimental results are presented for AlGaAs/GaAs and GaInP/GaAs heterostructures.