Interdiffused GaInNAsSb Quantum Well on GaAs for 1,300–1,550 nm Diode Lasers

Current state-of-the-art GaInNAsSb quantum well lasers emitting in the 1,550 nm regime can only be realized by molecular beam epitaxy due to the ease and efficient incorporation of Sb-species into the GaInNAs material system. The pursuit of GaInNAsSb materials systems by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition is still immature due to the challenges in incorporating Sb- and dilute-N-species into GaInAs layer simultaneously under optimum growth conditions. This chapter presents a novel approach to realize GaInNAsSb quantum well, which allows one to circumvent the challenges present in the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition epitaxy of this quinary material system. Our approach combines the already-established metalorganic chemical vapor deposition growth of GaInNAs and GaInAsSb quantum wells, with a postgrowth rapid-thermal annealing that leads to interdiffusion of Sb and N-species, resulting in high-quality interdiffused GaInNAsSb quantum well. Our studies indicated emission wavelength up to 1,550nm is achievable from this interdiffused GaInNAsSb quantum well, obtained by rapid thermal annealing of the as-grown GaInAsSb sandwiched by GaInNAs layers at a temperature of 600–700°C. Strain-compensated interdiffused SbN-based quantum well on GaAs can also be achieved by conducting rapid thermal annealing of the GaInAsSb (compressive)-GaNAs (tensile) layers, leading to interdiffused GaInNAsSb quantum well with emission wavelength up to 1,500 nm. Both experimental and theoretical works are presented here, and our studies show that combination of metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and interdiffusion approach should allow realization of GaInNAsSb quantum well with emission wavelength up to 1,550 nm regime without having to grow the mixed SbN-based quinary compound directly by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition.