Rapid thermal annealing induced order-disorder transition in Ga _0.52In_0.48P/(Al_0.35Ga_0.65) _0.5In_0.5P heterostructures

Abstract

The thermally induced transition from the ordered to the disordered state of Ga0.52In0.48P/(Al0.35Ga0.65) In0.5P layers was investigated by means of rapid thermal annealing and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The annealing temperature and annealing time dependence of the luminescence was studied in the temperature range from 500 up to 1050°C and for annealing times between 5 and 600 s. Within a very small temperature range of less than 40°we observe an emission energy blue shift of the GaInP luminescence band by about 100 meV. The shift occurs due to a complete disordering of the previously ordered layers without a simultaneous destruction of the heterostructure. The photoluminescence of the quaternary AlGaInP barrier was also observed and shows a simultaneous blue shift of about 90 meV due to an order-disorder transition.