Investigation of photon and photocarrier diffusion in In0.53Ga0.47As layer using microluminescence

Microluminescence (ML) technique has been used to investigate photon and photocarrier diffusion in a nominally undoped InGaAs bulk layer lattice matched to InP grown by Vapor Leviation Epitaxy (VLE). The ML technique is based on the spatial analysis of a magnified luminescent region and does not require electric contacts or special sample-growth geometry. Measurements taken at room temperature indicate the presence of two distinct contributions to the local luminescence intensity (p). Near the laser spot, carrier diffusion dominates while, at the border of the luminescent region, photon diffusion dominates. The values we found for the photon diffusion length and photocarrier diffusion length, in the In0.53Ga0.47As bulk layer, were on the order of 1000 mu m and 137 mu m, respectively, being one the highest values found in the literature. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.