Fabrication and Characterization of GaSb-Based Monolithic Resonant-Cavity Light-Emitting Diodes Emitting Around 2.3 μm and Including a Tunnel Junction

In this paper, the process of fabrication of GaSb-based electrically injected resonant-cavity LEDs near 2.3 mum is detailed. The electrical and optical properties of these diodes operating in continuous wave at room temperature are also presented. The different tested monolithic structures have similar designs with two doped AlAsSb/GaSb Bragg mirrors and an active region with eight GaInAsSb quantum wells. Performances of devices containing or not an n⁺⁺-InAsSb/p⁺⁺-GaSb tunnel junction (TJ) can be compared. The large improvements of electrical resistance as well as output power, observed when a TJ is included, demonstrate all the advantages to use such a technology for the realization of electrically injected vertical cavity structures emitting in the mid-IR on GaSb substrate.