ABSTRACTWe have analyzed photoluminescence spectra from CdxZnl−xTe /ZnTe and ZnSexTel−x/ZnTe strained layer superlattices grown by MBE, and obtained the band offsets by fitting to theory. We find that the valence band offset of the CdTe/ZnTe system is quite small (-50± 160 meV). In CdxZnl−xTe /ZnTe superlattices, the electrons and heavy holes are confined in the CdxZn1−xTe layers (type I), while the light holes are confined in the ZnTe layers (type II). On the other hand, the photoluminescence data from the ZnSexTe1−x /ZnTe superlattices suggest that the band alignment is type II, with a large valence band offset (−907 ± 120 meV). We also investigated the band bowing in the ZnSexTel−x alloys by optical spectroscopy, and found that there is only a small component of bowing in the valence band, while most of the bowing occurs in the conduction band. Based on our results for band alignments, we evaluate the prospects for minority carrier injection in wide bandgap heterostructures based on ZnSe, ZnTe, and CdTe.
Determination of valence-band offset at cubic CdSe/ZnTe type-II heterojunctions: A combined experimental and theoretical approach