Effect of growth temperature on the electric properties of In_0.12Ga_0.88As/GaAs p-i-n multiple-quantum-well diodes

The electric properties of In_0.12Ga_0.88As/GaAs p-i-n multiple-quantum-well (MQW) diodes, with the MQW layer grown at different temperatures by molecular beam epitaxy, have been investigated. Temperature-dependent current-voltage studies reveal a trap-filled limit current at a low temperature and a generation-recombination current via deep levels at high temperature for a 300°C-grown sample. Frequency-dependent capacitance and deep-level transient spectroscopy reveal one majority trap at 0.73 eV and two minority traps at 0.71 and 0.43 eV. The 0.73 eV trap is also detected in 550°C-grown samples, suggesting that it is a common defect in relaxed InGaAs/ GaAs MQWs and probably originates from the defect states related to the strain relaxation. The 0.71 eV trap is believed to be the dominating deep level that governs the current conduction due to the activation energy observed in the current-voltage characteristics.