Optical and Electronic Properties of GaInNP Alloys: A New Material for Lattice Matching to GaAs.

Alloying of nitrogen with conventional III-V compounds has recently attracted substantial research efforts ignited by unusual fundamental physical properties of the formed dilute nitride materials as well as their great potential for various applications in optoelectronics and photonics. Among the newest members of the dilute nitrides family are Ga0.5In0.5NxP1−x alloys lattice matched to GaAs. They have recently been suggested as promising materials for GaInP/GaAs-based heterojunction bipolar transistors, e.g., in blocked hole heterojunction bipolar transistors with a reduced offset and knee voltages. In this chapter we will review our present knowledge on the basic electronic and also material-related properties of GaInNP alloys. Issues to be addressed include: modeling of electronic structure of GaInNP, effects of nitrogen on band alignment at the GaInNP/GaAs interface, origin of radiative recombination in the alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]