Photoluminescence of GaP epitaxial layers obtained from indium-based melts

  • Dmitrii I. Brinkevich Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliezhnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus
  • Uladislau S. Prasalovich Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliezhnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus
  • Yuri N. Yankovski Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliezhnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus
  • Zoir T. Kenzhaev Tashkent State Technical University named after Islam Karimov, 2 Universitetskaja Street, Tashkent 100095, Uzbekistan
  • Bayrambay K. Ismaylov Tashkent State Technical University named after Islam Karimov, 2 Universitetskaja Street, Tashkent 100095, Uzbekistan

Abstract

In the present work, we investigate epitaxial layers of gallium phosphide grown on GaP substrates and doped by rare-earth elements (REE) Gd and Dy in the process of crystallisation from the melt-solutions on the base of In in the temperature interval of 975– 670 °C. REE concentration in the epitaxial layers was below the detection limit by X-ray spectral analysis (0.01 at. %). Photoluminescence spectra were measured in the temperature range of 4.2–300.0 K. In the spectra of the studied samples, typical for single-crystal GaP lines were observed: line of exciton bound on sulphur and phosphorus, as well as a series of narrow lines on the background of a broad band due to the donor – acceptor pair involving carbon and sulphur impurities. In the near-infrared range (1.4 –1.8 eV), a broad band due to the superposition of four bands with maxima near 1.53; 1.69; 1.85 and 1.35–1.40 eV was observed. The spectral shape and intensity of this band depended on the growth and doping conditions. The introduction Gd and Dy in melt resulted in occurrence of narrow X line (λ = 541 nm). Its intensity increased with the concentration increase of the REE in the melt. The photoluminescence intensity in all investigated region of waves lengths increased also with the addition of the REE in the melt-solution. This is most likely due to the increase in the lifetime of non-equilibrium charge carriers in GaP : REE. The mentioned X line was also observed in especially pure GaP layers. Then its intensity was considerably lower than in GaP : REE. The experimental data are explained by gettering in the melt of donor impurities (S, Se, Te) and formation of acceptor-type defects (presumably VP or GaP) in epitaxial layers of gallium phosphide when REE are introduced into the melt.

Author Biographies

Dmitrii I. Brinkevich, Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliezhnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus

PhD (physics and mathematics); leading researcher at the laboratory of semiconductor spectroscopy, department of semiconductor physics and nanoelectronics, faculty of physics

Uladislau S. Prasalovich, Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliezhnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus

PhD (physics and mathematics), docent; head of the laboratory of semiconductor spectroscopy, department
of semiconductor physics and nanoelectronics, faculty of physics

Yuri N. Yankovski, Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliezhnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus

PhD (physics and mathematics); leading researcher at the laboratory of semiconductor spectroscopy, department of semiconductor physics and nanoelectronics, faculty of physics

Zoir T. Kenzhaev, Tashkent State Technical University named after Islam Karimov, 2 Universitetskaja Street, Tashkent 100095, Uzbekistan

PhD (physics and mathematics); associate professor at the department of digital electronics and microelectronics, faculty of electronics and automation

Bayrambay K. Ismaylov, Tashkent State Technical University named after Islam Karimov, 2 Universitetskaja Street, Tashkent 100095, Uzbekistan

PhD (physics and mathematics); associate professor at the department of digital electronics and microelectronics, faculty of electronics and automation

References

  1. Mauk MG. Liquid-phase epitaxy. In: Kuech TF, editor. Handbook of crystal growth. Volume 3, Thin films and epitaxy: basic techniques, and materials, processes, and technology. 2nd edition. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 2015. p. 225–316. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-444-63304-0.00006-8.
  2. Hu R, Chatratin I, Ho QD, To QD, Bryant GW, Janotti A. Rare-earth impurities in III–V semiconductors and their alloys. In: Bulletin of the American Physical Society. APS March meeting – 2024: Monday – Friday, March 4–8, 2024; Minneapolis and virtual [Internet]. College Park: American Physical Society; 2024 [cited 2024 April 1]. Available from: https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR24/Session/F05.5.
  3. Huang SR, Lu X, Barnett A, Opila RL, Mogili V, Tanner DA, et al. Characterization of the microstructure of GaP films grown on {111} Si by liquid phase epitaxy. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 2014;6(21):18626–18634. DOI: 10.1021/am503448g.
  4. Vaisman M, Tomasulo S, Masuda T, Lang JR, Faucher J, Lee ML. Effects of growth temperature and device structure on GaP solar cells grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Applied Physics Letters. 2015;106(6):063903. DOI: 10.1063/1.4908181.
  5. Gorelenok AT, Kamanin AV, Shmidt NM. Rare-earth elements in the technology of III−V compounds and devices based on these compounds. Semiconductors. 2003;37(8):894–914. DOI: 10.1134/1.1601656.
  6. Jones R. Structure and electrical activity of rare-earth dopants in semiconductors. Optical Materials. 2006;28(6–7):718–722. DOI: 10.1016/j.optmat.2005.09.005.
  7. Pyshkin S, Ballato J, Bass M, Turri G. Evolution of luminescence from doped gallium phosphide over 40 years. Journal of Electronic Materials. 2009;38(5):640–646. DOI: 10.1007/s11664-009-0678-6.
  8. Brinkevich DI, Vabishсhevich SA, Prosolovich VS, Yankovski YuN. Redkozemel’nye elementy v monokristallicheskom kremnii [Rare-earth elements in monocrystalline silicon]. Navapolack: Polotsk State University; 2003. 204 p. Russian.
  9. Brinkevich DI, Kazuchits NM, Petrov VV. Epitaxial layers Si : (Sn, Yb) produced by the crystallization from the melt-solution on the basis of Sn. In: Pomrenke GS, Klein PB, Langer DW, editors. Rare earth doped semiconductors: symposium held April 13–15, 1993, San Francisco, California, USA. Pittsburgh: Materials Research Society; 1993. p. 79–84 (Materials Research Society symposium proceedings; volume 301). DOI: 10.1557/PROC-301-79.
  10. Cristea MJ. Capacitance-voltage profiling techniques for characterization of semiconductor materials and devices. Emerging Trends in Electrical, Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering: An International Journal. 2014;1(3):29–38.
  11. Masterov VF, Zakharenkov LF. [Rare-earth elements in AIII BV semiconductors: a review]. Physics and Technics of Semiconductors. 1990;24(4):610–630. Russian.
  12. Garcia JA, Remon A, Dominguez-Adame F, Piqueras J. Study of radiative transitions in the range 1.5–2.1 eV in GaP. Materials Chemistry and Physics. 1991;28(3):267–274. DOI: 10.1016/0254-0584(91)90081-5.
  13. Borschensky VV, Brinkevich DI, Petrov VV, Prosolovich VS. Monocrystal dislocationless Si : Ge, grown from the melt with Gd impurity. In: Pomrenke GS, Klein PB, Langer DW, editors. Rare earth doped semiconductors: symposium held April 13–15, 1993, San Francisco, California, USA. Pittsburgh: Materials Research Society; 1993. p. 73–78 (Materials Research Society symposium proceedings; volume 301). DOI: 10.1557/PROC-301-73.
  14. Brinkevich DI, Kazuchits NM, Kryukov VL, Petrov VV, Furmanov GP. [Epitaxial layers of silicon obtained by crystallization from tin-based melt-solutions]. Neorganicheskie materialy. 1992;28(3):473–475. Russian. EDN: AEKUGX.
  15. Brinkevich DI, Vabishchevich NV, Prosolovich VS. Micromechanical properties of GaP < Dy > epilayers. Inorganic Materials. 2012;48(8):768–772. DOI: 10.1134/S0020168512070047.
Published
2024-06-04
Keywords: gallium phosphide, epitaxial layers, rare-earth elements, photoluminescence, crystallisation from the melt-solutions
Supporting Agencies This work was carried out within the framework of the state programme of scientific research «Material science, new materials and technologies» (subprogramme «Nanostructural materials, nanotechnology, nanotechnik (“Nanostructure”)», assignment 2.16). The authors are grateful to N. A. Sobolev for help in measuring the photoluminescence spectra and discussing the experimental results.
How to Cite
Brinkevich, D. I., Prasalovich, U. S., Yankovski, Y. N., Kenzhaev, Z. T., & Ismaylov, B. K. (2024). Photoluminescence of GaP epitaxial layers obtained from indium-based melts. Journal of the Belarusian State University. Physics, 2, 108-114. Retrieved from https://journals.bsu.by/index.php/physics/article/view/6282
Issue
No 2 (2024): Journal of the Belarusian State University. Physics
Section
Semiconductor Physics and Engineering

Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of the Belarusian State University. Physics

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

The authors who are published in this journal agree to the following:

  1. The authors retain copyright on the work and provide the journal with the right of first publication of the work on condition of license Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial. 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).
  2. The authors retain the right to enter into certain contractual agreements relating to the non-exclusive distribution of the published version of the work (e.g. post it on the institutional repository, publication in the book), with the reference to its original publication in this journal.
  3. The authors have the right to post their work on the Internet (e.g. on the institutional store or personal website) prior to and during the review process, conducted by the journal, as this may lead to a productive discussion and a large number of references to this work. (See The Effect of Open Access.)