Microstructure and subpicosecond photoresponse in GaAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy at very low temperatures

Abstract

Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and femtosecond (fs) reflectivity are used to study (Ga,As) compound grown at low temperatures from 160 to 70 degrees C, A columnar polycrystalline GaAs is observed for samples grown at 160 degrees C while it appears amorphous for samples grown at temperatures below 120 degrees C, The successful growth of amorphous (Ga,As) at 70 degrees C, instead of a mixture of metallic Ga droplets and As solids, suggests that the decomposition of As-4 molecules may be catalyzed by the surface Ga. Upon annealing, all samples become polycrystalline before epitaxial solid state regrowth eventually dominates and the whole sample becomes single crystal for long enough annealing. Carrier lifetime of 230 fs is measured for the as-grown amorphous sample. For the annealed sample, the photoresponse exhibits a fast initial decay of 120 fs and a much slower secondary decay of 33 ps. The initial decay is attributed to the formation of fine polycrystalline grains (similar to 500 Angstrom in size) whose grain boundaries provide effective carrier traps and recombination centers. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.