Extracting nonradiative parameters in III-V semiconductors using double-heterostructures on active p-n junctions

A novel method of extracting the nonradiative lifetime of Ga0.51In0.49P lattice matched to GaAs by exploiting luminescence coupling is discussed. The method requires a GaInP double heterostructure monolithically grown on a GaAs photodetector for quantum efficiency measurements. The method then extracts the nonradiative lifetime by modeling the luminescence coupling between the GaInP and the GaAs active region. The bulk nonradiative lifetime of disordered GaInP doped to 1017 cm−3 under low-level injection (∼4 × 1012 cm−3) is determined to be 47 ns for GaInP layer thicknesses ranging from 200 to 1500 nm, with a surface recombination velocity of 660 cm/s. The results are in agreement with nonradiative lifetimes extracted using power-dependent relative photoluminescence measurements, whereby the lifetimes increase as a function of injection level to 0.5 ms. Surface recombination velocities are also reported as a function of injection level using this technique, decreasing from 1800 cm/s under low injection to 50 cm/s under high injection (∼1017 cm−3). Lastly, the effective radiative lifetimes (accounting for photon recycling) are also reported for the studied GaInP samples.