In-situ determination of indium segregation in InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract

The surface segregation of indium atoms during the growth of InGaAs/GaAs heterostructures has been investigated in situ by reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). We pointed out that the strong damping of the RHEED oscillations during the deposition of InGaAs on GaAs was related to the segregation strength of indium atoms in the InGaAs layer. A simple model shows that the decay constant of the RHEED oscillations may be used to determine accurately the segregation coefficient R, as confirmed by photoluminescence (PL) measurements.