Photoluminescence and Raman scattering in In0.53Ga0.47As/InP:Dy

Abstract

High purity In0.53Ga0.47As grown on InP by liquid phase epitaxy with small amounts of rare earth dysprosium (Dy) in the melt was investigated. The presence of Dy dramatically reduced the charge carrier and residual donor concentration, and shifted the low temperature photoluminescence peaks toward higher energies. Room temperature Raman spectra were also studied. The Raman shift of the GaAs-like longitudinal optical phonon band increased with the Dy content in the growth melt. The results were explained by the effect of gettering of unintentional donor impurities in the melt by Dy, as well as by the effect of strain modification in the layers due to the possible incorporation of Dy.