Hot electron light emission from a GaInAsP/InP structure

The GaInAsP/InP device described consists of an InP p-n junction with a GaInAsP quantum well placed on the n-side within the depletion region. Two ohmic contacts are diffused through the layers into the structure defining an active surface area. When a voltage is applied across these contacts in the plane of the layers, electrons on the n-side of the structure, and holes on the p-side are heated by the electric field. These carriers are captured by the quantum well and recombine, resulting in light emission from the surface. During operation the large built-in electric field remains. This affects the position of the subbands, and the overlap of the electron and hole wavefunctions via the quantum confined Stark effect (QCSE), and is dependent on the position of the quantum well. The emission wavelength is modelled as a function of position of the GaInAsP quantum well within the built-in electric field of the InP p-n junction using self-consistent numerical one-dimensional solutions of the Poisson and Schrodinger equations. Two similar structures, differing only in the position of their quantum well are investigated experimentally