Solution Kinetics and Impact Ionization in the Indium-Gallium - Arsenide Phosphide Alloy System (Crystal Growth, Photodetectors)

This thesis covers topics in crystal growth, solution kinetics, device fabrication, and device physics in the InGaAsP/InP material system. It is divided into three sections. Chapter I is a detailed account of the liquid phase epitaxial (LPE) crystal growth of In(,1-x)Ga(,x)As(,y)P(,1-y) layers lattice-matched to InP substrates. It covers many aspects of the art and the technology of LPE including a complete procedure for calculating the solution and growth parameters. Chapter II is a critical analysis of the kinetics of solute diffusion in the growth solution. The As and P diffusion coefficients in In are calculated from the growth of epitaxial InAs and InP films, respectively, and are given at 640(DEGREES)C by D(,As) = 5.1 x 10('-5) cm('2)/s and D(,p) = 1.0 x 10('-4) cm('2)/s. Using the growth rates of InGaAs and InGaAsP layers at this same temperature, it is shown that the Ga diffusion coefficient in In is much larger than the coefficients of As and P. Some inadequacies in the existing theories of the diffusion limited growth model for multicomponent systems have been pointed out. Using the irreversible thermodynamic concepts pertinent to the multicomponent diffusion in liquids, a substantially different Ga solute concentration profile has been predicted. Chapter III covers the device processing and impact ionization measurements in (111) InP. The techniques for successful polishing and mesa etching in the (111)A InP are reviewed. These advances in the processing of the (111)A surface have been used to fabricate high quality avalanche photodetectors (APD's) in this orientation. Impact ionization measurements carried out on the above APD's have shown that the impact ionization rates in InP are isotropic.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Tabatabaie, Nader

• Engineering, Electronics and Electrical

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8502311

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/69294