Terahertz Emission Increase in GaAs Films Exhibiting Structural Defects Grown on Si (100) Substrates Using a Two-Layered LTG-GaAs Buffer System

Abstract

Terahertz (THz) emission increase is observed for GaAs thin films that exhibit structural defects. The GaAs epilayers are grown by molecular beam epitaxy on exactly oriented Si (100) substrates at three different temperatures (Ts = 320ºC, 520ºC and 630ºC). The growth method involves the deposition of two low-temperature-grown (LTG)-GaAs buffers with subsequent in-situ thermal annealing at Ts = 600ºC. Reflection high energy electron diffraction confirms the layer-by-layer growth mode of the GaAs on Si. X-ray diffraction shows the improvement in crystallinity as growth temperature is increased. The THz time-domain spectroscopy is performed in reflection and transmission excitation geometries. At Ts = 320ºC, the low crystallinity of GaAs on Si makes it an inferior THz emitter in reflection geometry, over a GaAs grown at the same temperature on a semi-insulating GaAs substrate. However, in transmission geometry, the GaAs on Si exhibits less absorption losses. At higher Ts, the GaAs on Si thin films emerge as promising THz emitters despite the presence of antiphase boundaries and threading dislocations as identified from scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. An intense THz emission in reflection and transmission excitation geometries is observed for the GaAs on Si grown at Ts = 520ºC, suggesting the existence of an optimal growth temperature for GaAs on Si at which the THz emission is most efficient in both excitation geometries. The results are significant in the growth design and fabrication of GaAs on Si material system intended for future THz photoconductive antenna emitter devices.

Effect of heteroepitaxial growth on LT-GaAs: ultrafast optical properties

“…Table 1 shows the decay times obtained using a double exponential decay fitting. The relatively long time constants for the reference sample is due to the growth temperature being above the usual 200-240ºC for commercial LT-GaAs antennas [7], as well as the high incident fluence [25]. As the photoexcitation density increases, the decay time increases.…”

“…In the past, low temperature growth was explored to achieve high quality GaAs [6]. In more recent context, work has shown that epitaxial grown low temperature GaAs on silicon (LT-GaAs/Si) is a viable material for terahertz (THz) emission [7] and detection [8]. The device performance of the LT-GaAs/Si photoconductive antennas (PCAs) have been evaluated based on the samples' crystalline and optoelectronic qualities [8].…”