Surface photovoltage spectroscopy of an InGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs single quantum well laser structure

An InGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs single quantum well graded-index-of-refraction separate-confinement hetero-structure laser has been analyzed using surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS) in a contactless, nondestructive way at room temperature. Numerical simulation of the resulting spectrum made it possible to extract growth parameters, such as the InGaAs well width, the well and cladding compositions, as well as important electro-optic structure data of this device, including the lasing wavelength and built-in electric field. The results highlight the power of SPS in obtaining performance parameters of actual laser devices, containing two-dimensional structures, in a contactless, nondestructive way. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.