Ordered Structure in GalnP/AIGalnP Quantum Wells and p-Doped Multiquantum Well AIGalnp Laser Diodes

ABSTRACTZinc doping is performed on the GalnP/AIGalnP multiquantum well (MQW) structure with the aim of dissolving the ordered atomic arrangement which results in higher quantum levels and therefore shorter lasing wavelengths. It is shown that the photoluminescence (PL) peak wavelength gradually shortens with doping and decreases by 20 nm when the hole concentration reaches 1×1018 cm−3, while the PL relative intensity becomes half that of an undoped MQW layer. Therefore, a moderate level of zinc doping of around 4∼5×1017 cm−3 is desirable to shorten the PL wavelength without decreasing the crystal quality. Transmission electron nano-diffraction patterns confirm that the ordered structure in the MQW layers disappears as the hole concentration increases. On the basis of this data, uniformly p-doped and modulation p-doped MQW laser diodes are fabricated and their characteristics are compared with the undoped MQW lasers. CW operation is achieved at wavelengths of 631 to 633 nm, which is 10 nm shorter than the 643 nm in an undoped MQW laser. Comparatively low threshold currents of 73 and 88 mA are attained for uniformly p-doped and modulation p-doped MQW lasers, respectively. However, they are about 20∼30 mA higher than those of the undoped MQW lasers. This results from the large overflow of electrons from the active layer, and the fact that the differential gain becomes smaller in the 630-nm band.