Band gap of sphalerite and chalcopyrite phases of epitaxial ZnSnP2

Using contactless electroreflectance, we determined the band gap of the two known phases of epitaxial ZnSnP2. Induced by small changes in Sn/Zn flux ratio during epitaxy, the order-disordered transition between the chalcopyrite and sphalerite phases reduces the band gap by 300 meV. The chalcopyrite ordered phase, unambiguously identified from x-ray diffraction, exhibits a band gap of 1.683 eV at 293 K. The band gap of the disordered sphalerite phase is 1.383 eV. Using the volume-averaged order parameter measured on the chalcopyrite sample, we find that its morphology is best described by the presence of perfectly ordered domains inside a disordered matrix. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3442917]