Tunable spectral response by hydrogen irradiation of Ga(AsN) superlattice diodes

Abstract

We report on the tuning of the spectral response of superlattice (SL) diodes based on dilute nitride Ga(AsN) alloys by post-growth hydrogenation. Hydrogen is incorporated into the superlattice where it neutralizes the electronic activity of nitrogen by forming N-H complexes. We exploit the controlled thermal dissociation of the complexes to tune the energy of the SL photocurrent absorption and electroluminescence emission; also, by annealing a submicron spot with a focused laser beam we create a preferential path for the injection of carriers, thus activating a nanoscale light emitting region. This method can be used for fabricating planar diode arrays with distinct optical active regions, all integrated onto a single substrate.

H-tailored surface conductivity in narrow band gap In(AsN)

“…1,2 An additional attractiveness of this class of compounds is the possibility of using post-growth hydrogenation, combined with electron beam lithography and masking 3 or laser writing, 4 to create distinct, tailor-made light emitting regions, 3,4 all integrated onto a single substrate. These effects rely on the ability of hydrogen to modulate the material optical properties by passivating the electronic activity of nitrogen through the formation of di-hydrogen N-H 2 complexes.…”

“…11 Furthermore, our results open up perspectives for employing mid-infrared In(AsN) in applications that exploit its n-type surface conductivity, ranging from gas sensing 12 to "all semiconductors" plasmonic waveguides 13 for midinfrared photonics. In particular, the controlled photodissociation of H-N donor complexes by a focused laser beam 4 or the selective H-incorporation by masking may provide a route for writing conducting paths and printed circuits on a single substrate.…”

Structures based on GaAs(Sb)(N) semiconductor alloys for high efficiency multi-junction solar cells

“…Hydrogenation is a process that can be performed in dilute nitride materials [249,250], like GaAs 1-y N y . The process consists of the irradiation of material surface with a low energy (~100 eV) H-ion flux, in such a way that the H is incorporated in the material in the form of different N-nH complexes (N-2H and N-3H) [251,252]. H can be easily placed inside the crystal because the N-H bond is strong.…”

“…That versatility achieved combining hydrogenation and recovering process would allow the creation of nanostructured materials with different properties in different areas, according to a desired pattern [252,254,255]. Hence, carrying out such a procedure in GaAs 1-x Sb x /GaAs 1-y N y type-II SLs could give rise to a metamaterial with interesting properties to explore.…”