Substrate surface atomic structure influence on the growth of InAlAs quantum dots

We have examined the influence of substrate surface orientation on self-assembled InAlAs/AlGaAs quantum dots grown on (0 0 1) and (n 1 1) A/B (n = 3, 5) GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Preliminary characterizations have been performed using photoluminescence (PL) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The PL emission energies of quantum dots on high Miller index surface are found to be strongly dependent on the atomic-terminated surface (A or B surface) of the substrate. We observed that there were planar ordering larger islands on (3 1 1)B surface compared to (0 0 1) surface, in contrast, a rough interface and smaller "grains" on (3 1 1)A surface, this result is identical with PL emission energy from these islands. We propose that the rapid strain-induced surface "roughening" impedes the formation of 3D islands on A surface, and indicating that this is a promising approach of the realization of ordering distribution on (3 1 1)B plane for devices such as red-emitting semiconductor quantum dots lasers. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

In composition dependence of lateral ordering in InGaAs quantum dots grown on (311)B GaAs substrates

Self-assembled InxGa1-xAs quantum dots (QDs) on (311)A/B GaAs surfaces have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Spontaneously ordering alignment of InxGa1-xAs with lower In content around 0.3 have been observed. The direction of alignment orientation of the QDs formation differs from the direction of misorientation of the (311)B surface, and is strongly dependent upon the In content x. The ordering alignment become significantly deteriorated as the In content is increased to above 0.5 or as the QDs are formed on (100) or (311)A substrates. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Metamorphosis of self-organized quantum dots into quantum wires

Spontaneous formation of InAs quantum wires in InAlAs on InP(001) via sequential chain-like coalescence of quantum dots along [1 (1) over bar 0] is realized. Theoretical calculations based on the energetics of interacting steps provide a qualitative explanation for the experimental results. Sequential coalescence of initially isolated dots reduces the total free energy strikingly. Thus the wire-like structure is energetically favorable. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

Effects of annealing on self-organized InAs quantum islands on GaAs (100)

Self-organized InAs islands on (001) GaAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy were annealed and characterized with photoluminescence (PL) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The PL spectra from the InAs islands demonstrated that annealing resulted in a blueshift in peak energy, a reduction in intensity, and a narrower linewidth in the PL peak. In addition, the TEM analysis revealed the relaxation of strain in some InAs islands with the introduction of the network of 90 degrees dislocations. The correlation between the changes in the PL spectra and the relaxation of strain in InAs islands was discussed. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(98)01850-6].

Evidence of multimodal patterns of self-organized quantum dots

We have used Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy to investigate self-organized InAs/GaAs quantum dots. The existence of different dot families is confirmed by the deconvolution of the spectra in Gaussian components with full width at half maximum of 60-70meV. The strain of quantum dots is responsible for the relaxation of large quantum dots leading to generation of dislocations. (C) 1998 Academic Press.

Intraband optical absorption in semiconductor coupled quantum dots

In the framework of effective mass envelope function theory, absorption coefficients are calculated for intraband (intersubband in the conduction band) optical transition in InAs/GaAs coupled quantum dots. In our calculation the microscpic distributon of the strain is taken into account. The absorption in coupled quantum dots is quite different from that of superlattices. In superlattices, the absorption does not exist when the electric vector of light is parallel to the superlattice plane (perpendicular incident). This introduces somewhat of a difficulty in fabricating the infrared detector. In quantum dots, the absorption exists when light incident along any direction, which may be good for fabricating infrared detectors.

Room temperature continuous wave operation of 1.33-micron InAs/GaAs quantum dot laser with high output power

Continuous wave operation of a semiconductor laser diode based on five stacks of InAs quantum dots (QDs) embedded within strained InGaAs quantum wells as an active region is demonstrated. At room temperature, 355-mW output power at ground state of 1.33-1.35 microns for a 20-micron ridge-waveguide laser without facet coating is achieved. By optimizing the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth conditions, the QD density per layer is raised to 4*10^(10) cm^(-2). The laser keeps lasing at ground state until the temperature reaches 65 Celsius degree.

Surface Morphology and Photoluminescence of 1.3 μm Wavelength In(Ga)As/GaAs Quantum Dots

Self-organized In_(0.5)Ga_(0.5)As/GaAs quantum island structure emitting at 1. 35 (im at room temperature has been successfully fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) via cycled (InAs)_1/( GaAs)_1 monolayer deposition method. Photoluminescence (PL) measurement shows that very narrow PL linewidth of 19.2 meV at 300 K has been reached for the first time, indicating effective suppression of inhomogeneous broadening of optical emission from the In_(0.5)Ga_(0.5)As islands structure. Our results provide important information for optimizing the epitaxial structures of 1.3 μm wavelength quantum dot (QD) devices.

Optimization of InGaAs Quantum Dots for Optoelectronic Applications

Self-assembled In_0.35Ga_0.65As/GaAs quantum dots with low indium content are grown under different growth temperature and investigated using contact atomic force microscopy(AFM). In order to obtain high density and high uniformityu of quantum dots, optimized conditions are concluded for MBE growth. Optimized growth condi-tions also compared with these of InAs/GaAs quantum dots. This will be very useful for InGaAs/GaAs QDs opto-electronic applications, such as quantum dots lasers and quantum dots infrared photodetectors.

Room-temperature continuous-wave lasing from InAs GaAs quantum dot laser grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Quantum dot lasers are predicted to have proved lasing characteristics compared to quantum well and quantum wire lasers. We report on quantum dot lasers with active media of vertically stacked InAs quantum dots layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The laser diodes were fabricated and the threshold current density of 220 A/cm(2) was achieved at room temperature with lasing wavelength of 951 nm. The characteristic temperature To was measured to be 333K and 157K for the temperature range of 40-180K and 180-300K, respectively.

Modification of emission wavelength of self-assembled In(Ga)As/GaAs quantum dots covered by InxGa1-xAs(0 <= x <= 0.3) layer

Red shifts of emission wavelength of self-organized In(Cla)As/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) covered by 3 nm thick InxGa1-xAs layer with three different In mole fractions (x = 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3, respectively) have been observed. Transmission electron microscopy images demonstrate that the stress along growth direction in the InAs dots was reduced due to introducing the InxGa1-xAs (x = 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3) covering layer instead of GaAs layer. Atomic force microscopy pictures show a smoother surface of InAs islands covered by an In0.2Ga0.8As layer. It is explained by the calculations that the redshifts of the photoluminescence (PL) spectra from the QDs covered by the InxGa1-xAs (x greater than or equal to 0.1) layers were mainly due to the reducing of the strain other than the InAs/GaAs intermixing in the InAs QDs. The temperature dependent PL spectra further confirm that the InGaAs covering layer can effectively suppress the temperature sensitivity of PL emissions. 1.3 mum emission wavelength with a very narrow linewidth of 19.2 mcV at room temperature has been obtained successfully from In,In0.5Ga0.5As/GaAs self-assembled QDs covered by a 3-nm In0.2Ga0.2As strain reducing layer. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Self-assembled quantum dots, wires and quantum-dot lasers

Molecular beam epitaxy-grown self-assembled In(Ga)As/GaAs and InAs/InAlAs/InP quantum dots (QDs) and quantum wires (QWRs) have been studied. By adjusting growth conditions, surprising alignment. preferential elongation, and pronounced sequential coalescence of dots and wires under specific condition are realized. The lateral ordering of QDs and the vertical anti-correlation of QWRs are theoretically discussed. Room-temperature (RT) continuous-wave (CW) lasing at the wavelength of 960 nm with output power of 3.6 W from both uncoated facets is achieved fi-om vertical coupled InAs/GaAs QDs ensemble. The RT threshold current density is 218 A/cm(2). A RT CW output power of 0.6 W/facet ensures at least 3570 h lasing (only drops 0.83 dB). (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V, All rights reserved.

Influence of quantum-dots density on average in-plane strain of optoelectronic devices investigated by high-resolution X-ray diffraction

High-resolution X-ray diffractometry is used to probe the nature of a diffraction-peak broadening previously noticed in quantum dots (QDs) systems with freestanding InAs islands on top of GaAs (001) substrates [Freitas et al., Phys. Status Solidi (A) 204, 2548 (2007)]. The procedure is hence extended to further investigate the capping process of InAs/GaAs QDs. A direct correlation is established between QDs growth rates and misorientation of lattice-planes at the samples surfaces. This effect provides an alternative too] for studying average strain fields on QDs systems in standard triple axis diffractometers running on X-ray tube sources, which are much more common than synchrotron facilities. (C) 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Designing spatial correlation of quantum dots: towards self-assembled three-dimensional structures

Buried two-dimensional arrays of InP dots were used as a template for the lateral ordering of self-assembled quantum dots. The template strain field can laterally organize compressive (InAs) as well as tensile (GaP) self-assembled nanostructures in a highly ordered square lattice. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements show that the InAs dots are vertically correlated to the InP template, while the GaP dots are vertically anti-correlated, nucleating in the position between two buried InP dots. Finite InP dot size effects are observed to originate InAs clustering but do not affect GaP dot nucleation. The possibility of bilayer formation with different vertical correlations suggests a new path for obtaining three-dimensional pseudocrystals.

Structural, morphological, and magnetic characterization of In1-xMnxAs quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy

In this paper, we present a method to order low temperature (LT) self-assembled ferromagnetic In1-xMnxAs quantum dots (QDs) grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The ordered In1-xMnxAs QDs were grown on top of a non-magnetic In0.4Ga0.6As/GaAs(100) QDs multi-layered structure. The modulation of the chemical potential, due to the stacking, provides a nucleation center for the LT In1-xMnxAs QDs. For particular conditions, such as surface morphology and growth conditions, the In1-xMnxAs QDs align along lines like chains. This work also reports the characterization of QDs grown on plain GaAs(100) substrates, as well as of the ordered structures, as function of Mn content and growth temperature. The substitutional Mn incorporation in the InAs lattice and the conditions for obtaining coherent and incoherent structures are discussed from comparison between Raman spectroscopy and x-ray analysis. Ferromagnetic behavior was observed for all structures at 2K. We found that the magnetic moment axis changes from [110] in In1-xMnxAs over GaAs to [1-10] for the ordered In1-xMnxAs grown over GaAs template. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4745904]