Metastability of Band-Gap Energy in GaInNAs Compound Investigated by Photoreflectance

The band-gap energy of GaInNAs layers lattice-matched to GaAs substrate and annealed under different temperatures is investigated by photoreflectance spectroscopy. Different nitrogen nearest-neighbor environments of N atom appear in GaInNAs layers due to the post-growth annealing. It leads to an energy-fine structure of the band gap, i.e. well separated photoreflectance resonances related to different nitrogen nearest-neighbor environments (N-Ga$\text{}_{4-m}$In$\text{}_{m}$ (0≤ m≤ 4) short-range-order clusters). The temperature dependence of the band gap E(T) related to different N-Ga$\text{}_{4-m}$In$\text{}_{m}$ clusters is investigated in 10-280 K temperature range, and Varshni and Bose-Einstein parameters for E(T) are determined.