Optical transitions and chemistry at the In0.52Al0.48As/InP interface

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Abstract
We report properties of the InAlAs/InP interface and its formation during growth by organometallic molecular beam epitaxy. Taking advantage of the photoluminescence emission occurring at this type II interface, we were able to directly investigate the interface characteristics for different growth conditions. A shift is observed in the energy of the interface recombination transition which we interpret as evidence of a P-As exchange effect dependent on the specific growth sequence. This effect was further investigated by growing interfaces with thin layers (InAs, AlAs, AlP) between the InP and InAlAs. The results can be understood in terms of a model based on bond strength considerations. We predicted and demonstrated that the most stable interface is obtained with incorporation of a thin AlP interfacial layer.