Effect of Partial Dissolution During LPE Growth of AlxGa1-xAs on the Efficiency of Diffused Light-Emitting Diodes

Light-emitting diodes have been prepared by Zn diffusion to form p-n junctions in Te-doped AlxGa1-xAs layers grown by liquid phase epitaxy. When the growth process is interrupted by a partial dissolution cycle, the external quantum efficiencies for junctions formed in the material grown after dissolution are about five times greater than those obtained without a dissolution cycle. Efficiencies of about 1 x 10-3 have been measured at about 6750A for uncoated diodes. Electron microprobe analysis shows that in the regrown material there is a sharp initial drop in Al concentration, after which the A1 concentration gradient becomes considerably less than in layers grown without dissolution. In addition the dislocation density in the regrown layers is about a factor of two lower than in material grown without dissolution. © 1971, The Electrochemical Society, Inc. All rights reserved.