Over 30% External Quantum Efficiency Light‐Emitting Diodes by Engineering Quantum Dot‐Assisted Energy Level Match for Hole Transport Layer

In the study of hybrid quantum dot light‐emitting diodes (QLEDs), even for state‐of‐the‐art achievement, there still exists a long‐standing charge balance problem, i.e., sufficient electron injection versus inefficient hole injection due to the large valence band offset of quantum dots (QDs) with respect to the adjacent carrier transport layer. Here the dedicated design and synthesis of high luminescence Zn_1?x Cd_xSe/ZnSe/ZnS QDs is reported by precisely controlled shell growth, which have matched energy level with the adjacent hole transport layer in QLEDs. As emitters, such Zn_1?xCd_xSe‐ based QLEDs exhibit peak external quantum efficiencies (EQE) of up to 30.9%, maximum brightness of over 334 000 cd m^?2, very low efficiency roll‐off at high current density (EQE ≈25% @ current density of 150 mA cm^?2), and operational lifetime extended to ≈1 800 000 h at 100 cd m^?2. These extraordinary performances make this work the best among all solution‐processed QLEDs reported in literature so far by achieving simultaneously high luminescence and balanced charge injection. These major advances are attributed to the combination of an intermediate ZnSe layer with an ultrathin ZnS outer layer as the shell materials and surface modification with 2‐ethylhexane‐1‐thiol, which can dramatically improve hole injection efficiency and thus lead to more balanced charge injection.     

One‐Step Preparation of Coaxial CdS–ZnS and Cd1–xZnxS–ZnS Nanowires

Preparation of coaxial (core–shell) CdS–ZnS and Cd_1–xZn_xS–ZnS nanowires has been achieved via a one‐step metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) process with co‐fed single‐source precursors of CdS and ZnS. Single‐source precursors of CdS and ZnS of sufficient reactivity difference were prepared and paired up to form coaxial nanostructures in a one‐step process. The sequential growth of ZnS on CdS nanowires was also conducted to demonstrate the necessity and advantages of the precursor co‐feeding practice for the formation of well‐defined coaxial nanostructures. The coaxial nanostructure was characterized and confirmed by high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy and corresponding energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometry analyses. The photoluminescence efficiencies of the resulting coaxial CdS–ZnS and Cd_1–xZn_xS–ZnS nanowires were significantly enhanced compared to those of the plain CdS and plain Cd_1–xZn_xS nanowires, respectively, owing to the effective passivation of the surface electronic states of the core materials by the ZnS shell.     

Nanoconfinement-Controlled Synthesis of Highly Active,Multinary Nanoplatelet Catalysts from Lamellar Magic-Sized Nanocluster Templates

Magic-sized semiconductor nanoclusters (MSCs) possessing intermediate stability are promising precursors for synthesizing low-dimensional nanostructures that cannot be achieved by direct methods. However, uncontrolled diffusion of MSCs in their colloidal-state poses challenges in utilizing them as precursors and/or templates for the controlled synthesis of nanomaterials. Herein, a nanoconfined diffusion-limited strategy to synthesize large CdSe nanoplatelets through the solid-state transformation of (CdSe)₁₃ MSCs is designed, wherein MSCs serve as both precursors and lamellar bilayer templates. In sharp contrast, in the colloidal-state, these MSCs are grown to CdSe nanoribbons or nanorods. Furthermore, the nanoconfined route is used not only to transform (CdSe)₁₃, Mn²⁺:(CdSe)₁₃, and Mn²⁺:(Cd_1−xZn_xSe)₁₃ MSCs but also to dope Cu⁺, producing Cu⁺:CdSe, Mn²⁺/Cu⁺:CdSe, Mn²⁺/Cu⁺:Cd_1−xZn_xSe nanoplatelets, respectively. The resulting multinary nanoplatelets with controlled compositions exhibit unique optical and magneto-optical properties through characteristic exciton transfer mechanisms. Furthermore, synergistic effects have made quinary Mn²⁺/Cu⁺:Cd_0.5Zn_0.5Se nanoplatelets efficient and reusable catalysts for chemical fixation of CO₂ with epoxide (turnover frequency: ≈200/h) under mild conditions. This nanoconfined synthetic strategy paves the way to synthesize diverse shape-controlled multi-component nanostructures for optoelectronic and other catalytic applications.     

A study of polycrystalline Cd(Zn,Mn)Te/Cds films and interfaces

Polycrystalline films of Cd_1-x Zn _x Te (x = 0–0.4) and Cd_1-x Mn _x Te (x = 0–0.25) were grown by MBE and MOCVD, respectively, on CdS/SnO₂/glass substrates to investigate their feasibility for solar cell applications. The compositional uniformity and interface quality of the films were analyzed by x-ray diffraction, surface photovoltage, and Auger depth profile measurements to establish a correlation between growth conditions and lattice constant, atomic concentration, and bandgap of the ternary films. MBE-grown polycrystalline Cd_1-x Zn _x Te films showed a linear dependence between Zn/(Cd + Zn) beam flux ratio, Zn concentration in the film, and the bandgap. Polycrystalline Cd_1-x Zn _x Te films grown at 300° C showed good compositional uniformity in contrast to compositionally non-uniform Cd_1-x Mn _x Te films grown by MOCVD in the temperature range of 420–450° C. The MBE-grown Cd_1-x Zn _x Te interface also showed significantly less interdiffusion compared to the MOCVD-grown Cd_1-x Mn _x Te/CdS interface, where preferential exchange between Cd from the CdS layer and Mn from the Cd_1-x Mn _x Te film was observed. The compositional uniformity of MOCVD-grown polycrystalline Cd_1-x Mn _x Te films grown on CdS/SnO₂/glass substrates was found to be a strong function of the growth conditions as well as the Mn source.     

Composition‐ and Shape‐Controlled Synthesis and Optical Properties of ZnxCd1–xS Alloyed Nanocrystals

Composition‐tunable Zn_xCd_1–xS alloyed nanocrystals have been synthesized by a new approach consisting of thermolyzing a mixture of cadmium ethylxanthate (Cd(exan)₂) and zinc ethylxanthate (Zn(exan)₂) precursors in hot, coordinating solvents at relatively low temperatures (180–210 °C). The composition of the alloyed nanocrystals was accurately adjusted by controlling the molar ratio of Cd(exan)₂ to Zn(exan)₂ in the mixed reactants. The alloyed Zn_xCd_1–xS nanocrystals prepared in HDA/TOP (HDA: hexadecylamine; TOP: trioctylphosphine) solution exhibit composition‐dependent shape and phase structures as well as composition‐dependent optical properties. The shape of the Zn_xCd_1–xS nanocrystals changed from dot to single‐armed rod then to multi‐armed rod with a decrease of Zn content in the ternary nanoparticles. The alloying nature of the Zn_xCd_1–xS nanocrystals was consistently confirmed by the results of high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and UV‐vis absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Further, the shape‐controlled synthesis of the ternary alloyed nanocrystals was realized by selecting appropriate solvents. Uniform nanodots in the whole composition range were obtained from TOPO/TOP solution, (TOPO: trioctylphosphine oxide) and uniform nanorods in the whole composition range were prepared from HDA/OA solution (OA: octylamine). The effect of the reaction conditions, such as solvent, reaction temperature, and reaction time, on the PL spectra of the alloyed Zn_xCd_1–xS nanocrystals was also systematically studied, and the reaction conditions were optimized for improving the PL properties of the nanocrystals.     

High‐Efficient Deep‐Blue Light‐Emitting Diodes by Using High Quality ZnxCd1‐xS/ZnS Core/Shell Quantum Dots

High‐quality violet‐blue emitting Zn_xCd_1‐xS/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) are synthesized by a new method, called “nucleation at low temperature/shell growth at high temperature”. The resulting nearly monodisperse Zn_xCd_1‐xS/ZnS core/shell QDs have high PL quantum yield (near to 100%), high color purity (FWHM) <25 nm), good color tunability in the violet‐blue optical window from 400 to 470 nm, and good chemical/photochemical stability. More importantly, the new well‐established protocols are easy to apply to large‐scale synthesis; around 37 g Zn_xCd_1‐xS/ZnS core/shell QDs can be easily synthesized in one batch reaction. Highly efficient deep‐blue quantum dot‐based light‐emitting diodes (QD‐LEDs) are demonstrated by employing the Zn_xCd_1‐xS/ZnS core/shell QDs as emitters. The bright and efficient QD‐LEDs show a maximum luminance up to 4100 cd m^?2, and peak external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 3.8%, corresponding to 1.13 cd A^?1 in luminous efficiency. Such high value of the peak EQE can be comparable with OLED technology. These results signify a remarkable progress, not only in the synthesis of high‐quality QDs but also in QD‐LEDs that offer a practicle platform for the realization of QD‐based violet‐blue display and lighting.     

Electrodepositing ZnxMnyOz alloys from zinc oxide to manganese oxide

Electrodeposition has emerged as a practical and simple method to synthesise semiconductor materials under different forms, thin films or nanostructured layers. This work reports on the cathodic electrodeposition of ZnMnO thin layers using both zinc and manganese chlorides as precursors. The composition of thin films can be varied from binary zinc oxide to manganese oxide varying the Mn/(Mn+Zn) ratio between 0 and 1. The composition of Zn_xMn_yO_z films was obtained by energy dispersive spectroscopy. Zn_1−xMn_xO films with Mn/Zn ratio less than 10% exhibit a crystalline wurtzite structure typical of ZnO fully oriented in the (0 0 2) direction. Higher Mn content leads to deformation of the ZnO lattice and the wurtzite structure is no longer maintained. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy points out that Mn₃O₄ tends to be deposited when a high Mn/Zn ratio is used in the starting solution. Magnetic measurements on films with Mn/(Zn+Mn) ratio near 1 reveal magnetic characteristics similar to Mn₃O₄ compounds. The transmission spectra of Zn_xMn_yO_z show the typical absorption edge of crystalline ZnO while the wurtzite structure is maintained and it shifts to higher wavelengths when Mn content increases.     

Molecular beam epitaxy of CdSe and the derivative alloys Zn1−x Cd x Se and Cd1−x M x Se

We report the epitaxial growth of CdSe, Zn_1−x Cd _x Se (0 ≤x ≤ 1) and Cd_1−x Mn _x Se (0 ≤x ≤ 0.8) on (100) GaAs. X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicate that all the epilayers have the cubic (zinc-blende) structure of the GaAs substrate. The energy gaps of these materials were measured using reflectivity measurements. We also report the growth of ZnSe/Zn_1−x Cd _x Se superlattices. TEM and XRD measurements show that high quality modulated structures with sharp interfaces are possible.     

Thin‐film Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2‐based solar cell with (Cd,Zn)S buffer layer and Zn1−xMgxO window layer

(Cd,Zn)S buffer layer and Zn_1−x Mg_x O window layer were investigated to replace the traditional CdS buffer layer and ZnO window layer in Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)₂ (CIGSSe)‐based solar cell. (Cd,Zn)S with band‐gap energy (E _g) of approximately 2.6 eV was prepared by chemical bath deposition, and Zn_1−x Mg_x O films with different [Mg]/([Mg] + [Zn]) ratios, x , were deposited by radio frequency magnetron co‐sputtering of ZnO and MgO. The estimated optical E _g of Zn_1−x Mg_x O films is linearly enhanced from 3.3 eV for pure ZnO (x  = 0) to 4.1 eV for Zn_0.6Mg_0.4O (x  = 0.4). The quality of the Zn_1−x Mg_x O films, implied by Urbach energy, is severely deteriorated when x is above 0.211. Moreover, the temperature‐dependent current density‐voltage characteristics of the CIGSSe solar cells were conducted for the investigation of the heterointerface recombination mechanism. The external quantum efficiency of the CIGSSe solar cell with the (Cd,Zn)S buffer layer/Zn_1−x Mg_x O window layer is improved in the wavelength range of 320–520 nm. Therefore, a gain in short‐circuit current density up to about 5.7% was obtained, which is higher conversion efficiency of up to around 5.4% relative as compared with the solar cell with the traditional CdS buffer layer/ZnO window layer. The peak efficiency of 19.6% was demonstrated in CIGSSe solar cell with (Cd,Zn)S buffer layer and Zn_1−x Mg_x O window layer, where x is optimized at 0.211. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

ZnSe–Si Bi‐coaxial Nanowire Heterostructures

We report on the fabrication, structural characterization, and luminescence properties of ZnSe/Si bi‐coaxial nanowire heterostructures. Uniform ZnSe/Si bi‐coaxial nanowire heterostructures are grown on silicon substrates by the simple one‐step thermal evaporation of ZnSe powder in the presence of hydrogen. Both ZnSe and silicon are single‐crystalline in the bi‐coaxial nanowire heterostructures, and there is a sharp interface along the nanowire axial direction. Furthermore, secondary nanostructures of either ZnSe nanobrushes or a SiO_x sheath are also grown on the primary bi‐coaxial nanowires, depending on the ratio of the source materials. The experimental evidence strongly suggests that bi‐coaxial nanowires are formed via a co‐growth mechanism, that is, ZnSe terminates specific surfaces of silicon and leads to anisotropic, one‐dimensional silicon growth, which simultaneously serves as preferential nucleation sites for ZnSe, resulting in the bi‐coaxial nanowire heterostructures. In addition, the optical properties of ZnSe/Si nanowires are investigated using low‐temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy.     

The effect of Zn1−xSnxOy buffer layer thickness in 18.0% efficient Cd‐free Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells

The influence of the thickness of atomic layer deposited Zn_1−xSn_xO_y buffer layers and the presence of an intrinsic ZnO layer on the performance of Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ solar cells are investigated. The amorphous Zn_1−xSn_xO_y layer, with a [Sn]/([Sn] + [Zn]) composition of approximately 0.18, forms a conformal and in‐depth uniform layer with an optical band gap of 3.3 eV. The short circuit current for cells with a Zn_1−xSn_xO_y layer are found to be higher than the short circuit current for CdS buffer reference cells and thickness independent. On the contrary, both the open circuit voltage and the fill factor values obtained are lower than the references and are thickness dependent. A high conversion efficiency of 18.0%, which is comparable with CdS references, is attained for a cell with a Zn_1−xSn_xO_y layer thickness of approximately 13 nm and with an i‐ZnO layer. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Molecular beam epitaxial growth of Cd<Subscript>1−y</Subscript>Zn<Subscript>y</Subscript>Se<Subscript>x</Subscript>Te<Subscript>1−x</Subscript> on Si(211)

We report on the first successful growth of the quaternary alloy Cd_1−yZn_ySe_xTe_1−x(211) on 3-in. Si(211) substrates using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The growth of CdZnSeTe was performed using a compound CdTe effusion source, a compound ZnTe source, and an elemental Se effusion source. The alloy compositions (x and y) of the Cd_1−yZn_ySe_xTe_1−x quaternary compound were controlled through the Se/CdTe and ZnTe/CdTe flux ratios, respectively. Our results indicated that the surface morphology of CdZnSeTe improves as the Zn concentration decreases, which fits well with our previous observation that the surface morphology of CdZnTe/Si is poorer than that of CdSeTe/Si. Although the x-ray full-width at half-maximums (FWHMs) of CdZnSeTe/Si with 4% of Zn + Se remain relatively constant regardless of the individual Zn and Se concentrations, etched-pit density (EPD) measurements exhibit a higher dislocation count on CdZnSeTe/Si layers with about 2% Zn and Se incorporated. The enhancement of threading dislocations in these alloys might be due to an alloy disorder effect between ZnSe and CdTe phases. Our results indicate that the CdZnSeTe/Si quaternary material with low Zn or low Se concentration (less than 1.5%) while maintaining 4% total Zn + Se concentration can be used as lattice-matching composite substrates for long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) HgCdTe as an alternative for CdZnTe/Si or CdSeTe/Si.     

Finely Crafted 3D Electrodes for Dendrite‐Free and High‐Performance Flexible Fiber‐Shaped Zn–Co Batteries

Rechargeable aqueous Zn‐based batteries, benefiting from their good reliability, low cost, high energy/power densities, and ecofriendliness, show great potential in energy storage systems. However, the poor cycling performance due to the formation of Zn dendrites greatly hinders their practical applications. In this work, a trilayer 3D CC‐ZnO@C‐Zn anode is obtained by in situ growing ZIFs (zeolitic‐imidazolate frameworks) derived ZnO@C core–shell nanorods on carbon cloth followed by Zn deposition, which exhibits excellent antidendrite performance. Using CC‐ZnO@C‐Zn as the anode and a branch‐like Co(CO₃)_0.5(OH)_x·0.11H₂O@CoMoO₄ (CC‐CCH@CMO) as the cathode, a Zn–Co battery is rationally designed, displaying excellent energy/power densities (235 Wh kg^?1, 12.6 kW kg^?1) and remarkable cycling performance (71.1% after 5000 cycles). Impressively, when using a gel electrolyte, a highly customizable, fiber‐shaped flexible all‐solid‐state Zn–Co battery is assembled for the first time, which presents a high energy density of 4.6 mWh cm^?3, peak power density of 0.42 W cm^?3, and long durability (82% capacity retention after 1600 cycles) as well as excellent flexibility. The unique 3D electrode design in this study provides a novel approach to achieve high‐performance Zn‐based batteries, showing promising applications in flexible and portable energy‐storage systems.     

Magnetic and Structural Investigation of ZnSe Semiconductor Nanoparticles Doped With Isolated and Core‐Concentrated Mn2+ Ions

X‐Ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) experiments on diluted magnetic semiconductor nanocrystals (2–7 nm) are reported in order to study their local electronic structure and magnetic properties. ZnSe nanoparticles containing either single manganese ions (Mn²⁺) distributed in the lattice of the entire particle or a MnSe core in the center are prepared using high temperature approaches. The Mn²⁺ concentration is varied between less than one to several tens of manganese ions per nanocrystal. For all samples it is shown that the Mn²⁺ is exclusively present in the bulk of ZnSe nanoparticles with no evidence for oxidation to higher Mn‐oxidation states. The magnetic ions are highly polarized inside the nanocrystals reaching about 80% of the theoretical value of a pure d⁵ state under identical conditions for the case of isolated manganese ions. Nanocrystals with a MnSe core ZnSe shell structure reach <50% of this value. Thus, their polarization is significantly more hindered, which is due to the significantly enhanced Mn–Mn interactions and a more distorted crystalline lattice. In contrast, no coupling between the manganese centers is observed in the nanoparticles doped samples with low concentrations of Mn²⁺, indicating that these ions are isolated in the bulk of the nanoparticles.     

Physical,structural and topographical aspects of Zn1−xCoxSe thin films

In the present study, Zn_1−xCo_xSe (0≤x≤0.275) thin films were synthesized via a chemical route and characterized through the physical, compositional, structural and morphological properties. The change in colour appearance from ash-grey to charcoal-black suggested integration of Co²⁺ into ZnSe host lattice. Similar conclusions on the colour appearance were drawn from colorimetric studies. The hydrophobic nature of the as-obtained sample surface was revealed in wettability measurements. Zn²⁺, Co²⁺ and Se^2- states of constituents in the thin films were found in the elemental analysis. Formation of ternary alloy was confirmed by shift in (111) X-ray diffraction peak. The surface topography was analysed by an atomic force microscopy (AFM). A variety of AFM parameters were determined to study the effect of Co²⁺ addition onto the surface topography. Magnetic mapping of the surface topography concluded the existence of magnetic domains of irregular sizes and shapes.     

Cd and Te-based ohmic contact materials to p-Type ZnSe

In order to explore a possibility of forming an intermediate semiconductor layer with low Schottky barrier by the conventional deposition and annealing technique, the electrical properties of Cd and Te-based contacts on the nitrogendoped ZnSe substrates have been investigated. Cd in the Cd/W contact reacted with the ZnSe substrate after annealing at temperatures above 250°C and formed epitaxial Cc_x}Zn_1−xSe layers, leading to reduction of the “turn-on” voltage (V_T) from about 11 to 6 V (here, a slash “/” between Cd and W means the deposition sequence). The reduction of the V_n} value by annealing at elevated temperatures was also observed for the Bi-Cd/W and In-Cd/W contacts. The average Cd composition (x) in the Cd_n}Zn_1−xSe layers was measured to be larger than 0.9, which agreed with the values estimated from the calculated Cd-Zn-Se phase diagrams. The ohmic behavior was strongly influenced by the thickness of the Cd_xZn_1−xSe layer, the density of misfit dislocations formed at the interface between the Cd_x Zn_1−x Se and the ZnSe, and/or the total area of the Cd Zn. Se layers covering the ZnSe surface. The present result suggests that formation of the large-areal Cc_xZn_1−xSe layers with thin thickness is crucial to achieve further reduction of the V_T value by the conventional deposition and annealing technique. Also, the V_T reduction was not obtained for the Te/W contact even after annealing at temperatures close to 300°C, which was explained to be due to absence of ternary ZnSe_1−xTe_n intermediate layers.     

Synthesis and Assembly of Core–Shell Nanorods with High Quantum Yield and Linear Polarization

The seeded growth method offers an efficient way to design core–shell semiconductor nanocrystals in the liquid phase. The combination of seed and shell materials offers wide tunability of morphologies and photophysical properties. Also, semiconductor nanorods (NRs) exhibit unique polarized luminescence which can potentially break the theoretical limit of external quantum efficiency in light emitting diodes based on spherical quantum dots. Although rod-in-rod core–shell NRs present higher degree of polarization, most studies have focused on dot-in-rod core–shell NRs due to the difficulties in achieving uniform NR seeds. Here, this study prepares high-quality uniform CdSe NRs by improving the reactivity of the Se source, using a secondary phosphine, namely diphenylphosphine, to dissolve the Se power, along with the conventional tertiary phosphine, namely trioctylphosphine. Starting from these high-quality NR seeds, this study synthesizes CdSe/Cd_xZn_1−xS/ZnS core–shell NRs with narrow emission bandwidth (29 nm at 620 nm), high PLQY (89%) and high linear polarization (p = 0.90). This study then assembles these core–shell NRs using the confined assembly method and fabricates long-range-ordered microarrays with programmable patterns and displaying highly polarized emission (p = 0.80). This study highlights the great potential of NRs for application in liquid crystal displays and full-color light emitting diodes displays.     

Molecular beam epitaxy of II–VI wide bandgap semiconductors

The paper presents the issues and challenges for molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) of the II–VI wide-bandgap semiconductors used for blue/green lasers. Use of reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) addresses many of these challenges, permitting characterization and control of various aspects of wide-bandgap II–VI MBE growth. The paper describes their use to control composition of Zn_{1 − x}Mg_xSe and ZnS_ySe_{1 − y}, layers, and to measure and control the growth rates of ZnSe, ZnTe and CdSe during migration-enhanced epitaxy (MEE) growth. RHEED oscillations reveal additional information about growth processes during II–VI MBE. The Mg sticking coefficient is found to be independent of substrate temperature, flux ratios, and electron beam excitation. Re-evaporation of Se, but not of Zn, is found to occur during pauses in growth. The effects of an electron beam on growth may be quantitatively determined.     

General Synthesis of Single‐Crystal Tungstate Nanorods/Nanowires: A Facile,Low‐Temperature Solution Approach

The general large‐scale synthesis of a family of single‐crystalline transition metal tungstate nanorods/nanowires is easily realized by a hydrothermal crystallization technique under mild conditions using cheap and simple inorganic salts as precursors. Uniform tungstate nanorods/nanowires such as MWO₄ (M = Zn, Mn, Fe), Bi₂WO₆, Ag₂WO₄, and Ag₂W₂O₇ with diameters of 20–40 nm, lengths of up to micrometers, and controlled aspect ratios can be readily obtained by hydrothermal transformation and recrystallization of amorphous particulates. This novel and efficient pathway toward various kinds of related low‐dimensional tungstate nanocrystals under mild conditions could open new opportunities for further investigating the novel properties of tungstate materials.     

Misfit strain induced tweed-twin transformation on composition modulation Zn1−xMgxSxSe1−y layers and the quality control of the ZnSe buffer/GaAs interface

[100] composition modulation as well as [101] and $$1$$ tweed strain contrast were observed in 0.72 μm thick Zn_1?xMg_xS Se_1?y epitaxial films grown on ZnSe buffer layers. The lattice distortion induced tweed strain contrast disappears in relaxed Zn_1?xMg_xS Se_1?y layers of thicknesses above ～ 0.8—1 μm even though the [100] composition modulation remains. Instead, the formation of microtwins takes place to relieve the strain in the distorted lattice of the quaternary films. The Zn_1?xMg_xS_ySe_1?y layers were obtained by growing a ZnSe buffer layer on Asstabilized GaAs substrates with Zn treatment of the substrate prior to the growth of the film. The samples with film thickness of ～0.72 μm were of very high quality with a defect density of less than 5 x lO⁴/cm². Some samples showed rough ZnSe/ GaAs interfaces and a high density of Frank partial dislocations originating at the ZnSe/GaAs interface. The interface roughness is believed to result from an As-rich GaAs surface after the oxide desorption.