Abstract

Rapid progress in ZnCdSe/ZnSe wide-gap semiconductor heterostructures has demonstrated the feasibility for applications such as blue-green semiconductor lasers. There are, however, still various problems that have to be resolved, among which is the quality of ZnCdSe alloy that comprises the quantum well region. A search of quantum wells with better optical characteristics lead to our study of digital quantum wells of CdSe/ZnSe. One of the advantages of CdSe/ZnSe digital alloys is the ordered crystal structure in the quantum well regions that might decrease alloy scattering of charge carriers. Most of the current interest in ZnCdSe/ZnSe prompted by applications is in the blue-green region, corresponding to Cd concentrations of less than 25%. We therefore focused our attention to structures consisting of various numbers of periods of 1 monolayer (ml) of CdSe and 3ml of ZnSe, which have an effective Cd concentration of 25%.

© 1993 Optical Society of America