| The recombination lifetime of n-InxGa1−xAs was determined for three different compositions that correspond to bandgaps of 0.74, 0.60, and 0.50 eV (x = 0.53, 0.66, and 0.78, respectively) over the doping range of 3 × 1018 to 5 × 1019 carriers/cm3. Picosecond up-conversion time-resolved photoluminescence measurements, together with external quantum efficiency measurements and previous lifetime studies of lightly doped samples, clearly indicate that Auger recombination is the dominant recombination mechanism in this doping range.; The Auger recombination rate is far less than expected by interpolation of the experimental results for InAs and In0.53Ga0.47As, and it matches the behavior predicted for the phonon-assisted process. This makes low-bandgap (0.53 < x < 1) InxGa1−x As a more attractive material for use in infrared detectors, thermophotovoltaic converters, laser diodes, and other applications.; Theoretical treatments of Auger recombination are very sensitive to the band model. Plasma reflectance and Raman spectroscopy on n-InxGa 1−xAs and n-InAsyP1−y were used to determine the effective electron mass as a function of carrier concentration for different compostions of degenerate n-InxGa1−xAs and n-InAsyP1−y. The predictions of the Kane band model agree with the experimental results. However, at large carrier concentrations (>5 × 1019 carriers/cm3), the model becomes unreliable if the T symmetry point is used as the initial k-value, as it frequently is in Auger recombination theory. |
