Assessment of the structural quality of CdTe/Cd1−xZnxTe strained superlattices by high-resolution x-ray diffraction and photoluminescence studies

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Abstract
We present a detailed analysis of x‐ray double‐diffraction rocking‐curve measurements and low‐temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy of (001) CdTe‐CdxZn1−xTe strained‐layer superlattices grown by molecular‐beam epitaxy. The presence of very sharp satellite reflections demonstrate smooth interfaces with a well‐defined modulation of both composition and perpendicular stress. Using a kinematical step model, the thickness, strain, and composition of the wells and the barriers are extracted. It is shown that fluctuations of 1 monolayer of the average period can be reproducibly obtained in such superlattices, in excellent agreement with the in situ reflection of high‐energy electron diffraction oscillations measurements. The structural perfection of these superlattices is confirmed by the optical spectra which exhibit sharp excitonic transitions.