We investigate the growth conditions for lattice-matched InGaAs/InAlAs/InP quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Effect of substrate misorientation, growth temperature, and V/III ratios of InGaAs and InAlAs layers on the surface morphology, optical quality, and impurity incorporation were systematically studied. It was found that epitaxial layers and multi-quantum-well structures grown at 720 °C with V/III ratios of 116 for InGaAs and 21 for InAlAs on InP substrates with an off-cut angle of ∼0.06° exhibit a stable step-flow growth and low oxygen and carbon contamination. Using these conditions, a ∼11.3-μm-thick QCL with an emission wavelength at ∼9.2 μm was grown and fabricated, which demonstrated excellent structural quality and operated at room temperature in pulsed mode with a threshold current density of 2.0 kA/cm2 and a slope efficiency of 550 mW/A. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.