Band lineups at the GaSb-Al(x)Ga(1-x)Sb heterojunction: Experimental evidence for a new Common Anion Rule.

The valence band offset in GaSb-Al(x)Ga(1-x)Sb quantum wells has been determined by a light scattering method and found to be nearly the same as in their GaAs-Al(x)Ga(1-x)As counterparts. This result suggests the validity of a restricted form of the Common Anion Rule, which can be stated as follows: The valence band offset in a common anion heterostructure tends to be independent of the particular anion chosen. This new rule is consistent with Tersoff's band lineup theory and also with a recent tight binding theory by Harrison and Tersoff.