GROWTH OF INAS/GASB STRAINED-LAYER SUPERLATTICES .1.

InAs/GaSb strained layer superlattices (SLSs) have been grown by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE) at atmospheric pressure. Whilst long period SLSs have been successfully grown by this technique, the growth of short period structures is adversely affected by step-bunching. By growing the SLSs faster and cooler, good periodicity was achieved as measured by Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) in SLSs with bilayer (GaSb + InAs) thicknesses as thin as 50 Angstrom. We have also detected the InSb-like and GaAs-like interface modes from room temperature Raman measurements for the first time in MOVPE grown samples. The most promising samples have been assessed by FIR photoconductivity at 4.2 K and show bandgaps (dependent on the bilayer thickness) between 5 and 20 mu m.