GAINP AND ALINP GROWN BY ELEMENTAL SOURCE MOLECULAR-BEAM EPITAXY

We report on the use of a new, valved, solid phosphorus cracker source for the growth of phosphides by molecular beam epitaxy. The source avoids the relatively high expense and high level of toxicity associated with the use of phosphine gas and eliminates the problems commonly encountered in using conventional solid phosphorus sources. The source has been used to grow GaInP and AlInP lattice-matched to GaAs substrates. The quality of the materials reported here is comparable to the best materials grown by other techniques. Photoluminescence and Raman scattering measurements indicate that the resulting material has a high degree of disorder on the group III sublattice. The new source is shown to be a reliable and attractive alternative for the growth of these phosphide materials.