Abstract
II-VI blue-green laser diodes have attracted much attention for use as lightsources for future optical disc systems. Epitaxial growth of ZnSe-based mterials using a gaseous source is required, because the elements comprising these materials have high vapour pressures. To date, attempts at growth of p-type low-resistivity layers using a gas source have been unsuccessful due to passivation of acceptors by hydrogen in the sources. We describe conditions for growth of p-type ZnSe-based materials by gas source molecular beam epitaxy with a solid source of group II elements, a hydride gas of a group VI element and nitrogen activated by rf plasma. The acceptor concentrations of the grown layers are comparable to those grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy. Using the low-resistivity p-type layers, pulse oscillation of a ZnCdSe/ZnMgSSe laser diode is attained at 200 K.
