II-IV compound semiconductor lasers and light emitting diodes

The II-VI compound semiconductors based on ZnCdSe/ZnCdMgSe quantum wells grown on InP are promising materials for fabricating light-emitting devices operating in the visible spectral region. A unique feature of these materials is that the epitaxial layers can be grown lattice-matched to InP, resulting superior material quality. By tailoring the thickness and composition of the quantum well, the emission wavelength covers most of the visible spectrum. In this thesis, the optical and electronic properties of the ZnCdSe/ZnCdMgSe quantum-well materials and devices are reported. Various device design issues, such as carrier confinement, modal confinement, and electrical contact, are discussed. Using photo-pumping, laser action in red, green, and blue has been demonstrated. The newly developed p-contact technology also resulted in the operation of the first p-n junction light-emitting diode. The observed emission wavelength and waveguiding properties of the devices are consistent with those projected according to the design parameters.