Impurity-free vacancy disordering of quantum heterostructures with SiOxNy encapsulants deposited by magnetron sputtering

Abstract

Post-growth techniques such as impurity-free vacancy disordering (IFVD) are simple and effective avenues to monolithic integration of optoelectonic components. Sputter deposition of encapsulant films can enhance quantum well intermixing through IFVD and an additional mechanism involving surface damage during the sputtering process. In this study, these two mechanisms were compared in a multi-quantum well structure. The compositions of different silicon oxy-nitride films were controlled by sputter deposition in different ambient gases. These different encapsulants were used to initiate IFVD in the same heterostructure and the observed intermixing is compared to the film properties. Show more