The influence of surface segregation on the optical properties of quantum wells

Segregation of column III atoms during molecular beam epitaxy of III-V semiconductor compounds result in nonabrupt interfaces and surface compositions different from the bulk. This effect modifies the electronic states in the quantum well and the emission energy in the photoluminescence spectrum. In this work, we have solved analytically the Schrodinger equation taking into account the shape changes in the quantum well due to the segregation of atoms during the growth process of the semiconductor heterostructures. We apply this model to the case of indium segregation in the InGaAs/GaAs system. The transition energy calculations between the confined electron and hole states as function of the well width for different In composition and growth temperature are in agreement with the measured photoluminescence energy peaks. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.