LP-MOVPE growth of InGaAsP/InP using nitrogen as carrier gas

Layers of InP and InGaAsP layers of different band gap were grown using nitrogen as carrier gas. Background doping levels are fully comparable with reference layers grown under hydrogen. This equivalence also holds for the RT and low-temperature luminescence properties. The doping behaviour of zinc and iron does not show any substantial differences to the hydrogen process. The growth rates generally decrease by a factor of almost 50% when using nitrogen instead of hydrogen at the same flow rate. Under nitrogen a remarkable improvement in layer uniformity in terms of thickness and PL wavelength is obtained for InGaAsP layers over the whole compositional range. This improvement duplicates for the PL wavelength of quantum wells. The basic laser parameters, especially the threshold current density, of 1.55 /spl mu/m bulk-laser structures show at least equivalent, if not superior data. The cost aspects are closely dependent on the specific material composition to be grown.