THE MOLECULAR-BEAM EPITAXIAL-GROWTH OF WIDE GAP-II-VI INJECTION-LASERS AND LIGHT-EMITTING-DIODES

The successful p doping of ZnSe by substitutional nitrogen using a plasma cell incorporated into a molecular beam epitaxy chamber, when combined with an appropriate quantum well heterostructure based on (Zn,Cd)Se/Zn(S,Se), has led to the development of pn junction electroluminescent devices. We report on the performance of pn junction multiple-quantum-well diode lasers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) which are grown on both p-type and n-type GaAs substrates and where sulfur is or is not incorporated. For all structures, efforts were made to minimize dislocations by lattice matching the active II-VI region to the GaAs substrate; some designs have dislocation densities below 10(5) cm-2. In this work we have obtained pulsed high power, high quantum efficiency laser emission up to room temperature conditions and continuous laser operation at liquid nitrogen temperatures. Efficient LED devices are described which operate in the blue (494 nm) at room temperature.