Patent ID: 6984538

Claim:
A method of shifting a bandgap energy of a semiconductor quantum well layer, comprising the steps of: introducing ions into a quantum well structure at a first elevated temperature, wherein the quantum well structure comprises a plurality of material layers formed on a semiconductor substrate including a quantum well layer disposed between an upper barrier layer and a lower barrier layer; thermally pre-annealing the quantum well structure at a second elevated temperature and for a pre-anneal time period that do not induce quantum well intermixing in the quantum well structure, wherein the introduction of the ions creates point defects in the quantum well structure, wherein the thermal pre-annealing moves the point defects closer to the quantum well layer without inducing quantum well intermixing in the quantum well layer; and thermally annealing the quantum well structure at a third elevated temperature and for an anneal time period sufficient to induce quantum well intermixing in, and a shifting of a bandgap energy of, the quantum well layer.