Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
Fundamental bandgaps and Schottky barrier heights of strain-relaxed quaternary InxAlyGa1−x-yAs alloys with 0 < x < 0.35 and 0 < y < 0.30 were studied. The alloys were grown on GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. The lattice mismatch (up to 2.5%) and mismatch strain were accommodated by a compositionally-step-graded buffer. A residual compressive strain of less than 0.5% was determined by x-ray diffraction. Measured Schottky barrier heights v.s. bandgap deviate from the values predicted by the “commonanion” rule. This behavior is attributed to the compositional inhomogeneities and chemical reactivity of the air-exposed InAlGaAs surfaces.