Dual-functional light-emitting and photo-detecting GaAsPN heterostructures on silicon

Progress in monolithic integration of III-V semiconductor heterostructures on silicon promotes the development of silicon-based integrated optoelectronics. Here, we report on the fabrication of dual-functional light-emitting and photo-detecting heterostructures based on aluminum-free quaternary dilute nitride alloys of GaAsPN, epitaxially grown on silicon wafers, operating in the red part of the visible spectrum. The use of indirect band gap GaP cladding layers minimizes light absorption and simplify fabrication technology. The low-temperature grown GaP/AlGaP nucleation layer has been employed to achieve antiphase domain-free growth of GaP on Si (001). Quaternary GaAsPN alloy layers with bandgap values, ranging from 1.94 to 1.83 eV, were grown by plasma -assisted molecular beam epitaxy at a high temperature of 540 degrees C, which ensures high crystallinity. The influ-ence of growth conditions on the GaAsPN alloy composition, structure and optoelectronic properties is discussed. The fabricated p-i-n mesa diodes demonstrate low leakage currents and both photocurrent response with an external quantum efficiency in the range of 30-42% and bright red interband electroluminescence at room temperature.