Gated photoluminescence study of oxide-free InP MIS structure having an ultrathin silicon interface control layer

In order to investigate the effectiveness of a novel oxide-free surface passivation approach for InP, using an ultrathin silicon interface control layer (Si ICL), gated photoluminescence characteristics of the Si3N4/Si ICL/n-InP metal–semiconductor–insulator (MIS) structure were studied at room temperature. As compared with gated PL spectra of Si3N4/n-InP MIS without Si ICL, PL intensities of the sample with Si ICL were much more strongly modulated by the gate voltage. The interface state density distribution was estimated by an optical analog of the Terman’s C–V analysis and a good agreement with the C–V analysis was obtained. The result indicates complete removal of Fermi level pinning over the entire bandgap in the novel oxide-free MIS structure.