Electrical and Optical Characterization of InSb Grown on GaAs by MBE

InSb has been grown on semi-insulating GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. By growing an InSb buffer layer at 300 C prior to the main InSb layer growth at 420 C, the effect of the 14% lattice mismatch between GaAs and InSb was minimized. A typical 5 µrn InSb film had a room temperature carrier concentration and electron Hall mobility of 2 × 1016/cm3 and 6×104 cm2/Vs, respectively. At 77 K these values became 2 × 1015/cm3 and 1.1 ×105 cm2/Vs. Temperature dependent Hall measurements revealed a peak in the mobility at 85 K and 70 K for the 5 and 10 µm samples. Capacitance-voltage measurements using MIS capacitors produced 77 K carrier concentrations in agreement with the low fieldHall measurements. Carrier lifetimes were determined by photoconductive response measurements. Lifetimes of 20 ns and 50 ns were determined for the 5 and 10 µm films. For comparison, the carrier lifetime in bulk n-type InSb was found to be 200 ns. Optical characterization by room temperature IR transmission spectroscopy showed a broad absorption edge, with an absorption coefficient of 1.4 × 103/cm at a wavelength of 6 µm. Epilayer thickness was determined from observed interference fringes. Raman spectroscopy showed that each epitaxial layer had a spectrum equivalent to that of bulk InSb.