Growth by molecular beam epitaxy and electrical characterization of GaAs nanowires

We report on structural and electrical properties of GaAs nanowires (NWs) grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on GaAs and SiO₂ substrates using Au as growth catalyst. Au–Ga particles are observed on the top of the NWs by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In most of the observed cases, individual particles contain two Au–Ga compositions, in particular orthorhombic AuGa and β′ hexagonal Au₇Ga₂. The wires grown on GaAs are regularly shaped and tidily oriented on both (1 0 0) and (1 1 1)B substrates. TEM also reveals that the NWs have a wurtzite lattice structure. Electrical transport measurements indicate that nominally undoped NWs are weakly n-type while both Be- and Si-doped wires show p-type behaviour. The effect of the lattice structure on impurity incorporation is briefly discussed.     

Distribution of carriers in gradient-doping transmission-mode GaAs photocathodes grown by molecular beam epitaxy

The gradient-doping structure is first applied to prepare the transmission-mode GaAs photocathode and the integral sensitivity of the sealed image tube achieves 1420~μ A/lm. This paper studies the inner carrier concentration distribution of the gradient-doping transmission-mode GaAs photocathode after molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth using the electrochemical capacitance-voltage profiling. The results show that an ideal gradient-doping structure can be obtained by using MBE growth. The total band-bending energy in the gradient-doping GaAs active-layer with doping concentration ranging from 1× 10^19~cm^-3 to 1×10^18~cm^-3 is calculated to be 46.3 meV, which helps to improve the photoexcited electrons movement toward surface for the thin epilayer. In addition, by analysis of the band offsets, it is found that the worse carrier concentration discrepancy between GaAs and GaAlAs causes a lower back interface electron potential barrier which decreases the amount of high-energy photoelectrons and affects the short-wave response.     

Molecular beam epitaxy growth of GaAs on an offcut Ge substrate

Molecular beam epitaxy growth of GaAs on an offcut Ge (100) substrate has been systemically investigated. A high quality GaAs/Ge interface and GaAs film on Ge have been achieved. High temperature annealing before GaAs deposition is found to be indispensable to avoid anti-phase domains. The quality of the GaAs film is found to strongly depend on the GaAs/Ge interface and the beginning of GaAs deposition. The reason why both high temperature annealing and GaAs growth temperature can affect epitaxial GaAs film quality is discussed. High quality In_0.17Ga_0.83As/GaAs strained quantum wells have also been achieved on a Ge substrate. Samples show flat surface morphology and narrow photoluminescence line width compared with the same structure sample grown on a GaAs substrate. These results indicate a large application potential for III--V compound semiconductor optoelectronic devices on Ge substrates.     

Self-assembly of InAs quantum dots on GaAs(001)by molecular beam epitaxy

Currently, the nature of self-assembly of three-dimensional epitaxial islands or quantum dots (QDs) in a lattice-mismatched heteroepitaxial growth system, such as InAs/GaAs(001) and Ge/Si(001) as fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), is still puzzling. The purpose of this article is to discuss how the self-assembly of InAs QDs in MBE InAs/GaAs(001) should be properly understood in atomic scale. First, the conventional kinetic theories that have traditionally been used to interpret QD self-assembly in heteroepitaxial growth with a significant lattice mismatch are reviewed briefly by examining the literature of the past two decades. Second, based on their own experimental data, the authors point out that InAs QD self-assembly can proceed in distinctly different kinetic ways depending on the growth conditions and so cannot be framed within a universal kinetic theory, and, furthermore, that the process may be transient, or the time required for a QD to grow to maturity may be significantly short, which is obviously inconsistent with conventional kinetic theories. Third, the authors point out that, in all of these conventional theories, two well-established experimental observations have been overlooked: i) A large number of “floating” indium atoms are present on the growing surface in MBE InAs/GaAs(001); ii) an elastically strained InAs film on the GaAs(001) substrate should be mechanically unstable. These two well-established experimental facts may be highly relevant and should be taken into account in interpreting InAs QD formation. Finally, the authors speculate that the formation of an InAs QD is more likely to be a collective event involving a large number of both indium and arsenic atoms simultaneously or, alternatively, a morphological/structural transformation in which a single atomic InAs sheet is transformed into a three-dimensional InAs island, accompanied by the rehybridization from the sp²-bonded to sp³- bonded atomic configuration of both indium and arsenic elements in the heteroepitaxial growth system.     

Growth of GaAs nanostructures by area selective epitaxy by migration-enhanced epitaxy

We have carried out area selective epitaxial growth of GaAs nanostructures using solid source molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) which makes it possible to achieve ‘damage-free’ structures. However, area selective epitaxy by MBE is very difficult unless the substrate temperature is very high. This problem has been solved by using migration-enhanced epitaxy (MEE) deposition sequence. To achieve well-defined nanostructures, lateral growth beyond the SiO₂ mask boundaries has to be strictly prohibited. By MEE method, uniform two-dimensional lattice structures with vertical sidewalls can be fabricated without shrinking holes, even though the mask diameter is as small as 30 nm with a dot density as high as 5.0×10⁹ cm⁻². Also uniform one-dimensional channel structures have been successfully grown.     

Raman study of the segregation of GaAs/AlAs heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy

The Raman spectra of the optical confined phonons in the GaAs/AlAs ultra-thin layer superlattices grown with different growth conditions were used to determine the compositional profiles and to study the process of segregation at the heterointerfaces. A modified kinetic model was developed in order to calculate the compositional profiles in the samples under investigation. The comparison between the experimentally obtained compositional profiles and those calculated by the kinetic model allowed us to determine the parameters characterizing the segregation. It was shown that the increase of pressure of As acts equivalently to the decrease of the growth temperature, resulting in a more abrupt compositional profile.     

Atomic hydrogen induced step bunching and fabrication of quantum wire arrays on GaAs（311） A Substrate by molecular eam epitaxy

Atomic hydrogen assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is a novel type of epitaxial growth of nanostructures. The GaAs (311)A surface naturally forms one-dimensional step arrays by step bunching along the direction of 〈-233〉 and the space period is around 40nm. The step arrays extend over several μm without displacement. The InGaAs quantum wire arrays are grown on the step arrays as the basis. Our results may prompt further development of more uniform quantum wire and quantum dot arrays.     

GaAs(001)衬底上分子束外延生长InNSb单晶薄膜

利用射频氮等离子辅助分子束外延(RF-MBE)技术在GaAs(001)衬底上生长稀氮 InNSb半导体薄膜,并通过原子力显微镜(AFM)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)和拉曼散射光谱等测量手段对样品的微结构和N组分等进行了表征.结果显示样品有较好的晶体质量,N组分可高达0.84%(XRD的结果).本文还对样品的输运性质进行了表征,结果显示样品在室温下具有较低的载流子浓度和较高的迁移率.另外,初步研究表明在InSb中掺入N可导致其室温磁阻明显下降. 关键词： 分子束外延 稀氮半导体 X射线衍射 拉曼光谱     

Characterization of InGaGdN layers prepared by molecular beam epitaxy

Gd‐doped InGaN layers were prepared by plasma‐assisted molecular‐beam epitaxy in search of new functional diluted magnetic semiconductors for their potential use in spintronics. The local structure around the Gd atoms was examined by the Gd L_III‐edge of X‐ray absorption fine structure. It was found that the majority of Gd atoms substitutionally occupied the cation sites in the InGaGdN layers. Clear hysteresis and saturation magnetization were observed from the magnetization versus field curves examined by means of a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer at low and room temperatures. In addition, the incorporation of extra shallow donors by co‐doping InGaN with both Gd and Si showed higher magnetization than the undoped InGaGdN. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

分子束外延生长的(GaAs1－xSbx/InyGa1－yAs)/GaAs量子阱光致发光谱研究

报道了(GaAs_1-xSb_x/In_yGa_1-yAs)/Ga As量子阱结构的分子束外延生长与光致发光谱研究结果.变温与变激发功率光致发光谱的研究表明了此结构 为二型量子阱发光性质.讨论了光谱双峰结构的跃迁机制.通过优化生长条件，获得了室温1 31μm发光. 关键词： 分子束外延 量子阱 二型发光     

Controlled stacking growth of uniform InAs quantum dots by molecular beam epitaxy

Double-stacked InAs quantum dots (QDs) were grown by molecular beam epitaxy via Stranski–Krastanov growth mode. Transition of the facet formation from {1 3 6} plane to {1 1 0} plane was observed during the stacking growth of InAs QDs by reflection high-energy electron-beam diffraction. The enhanced growth rate and the different facet formation in the stacking growth were caused by tensile strain of the GaAs underlying layer. Low arsenic pressure and low growth rate conditions played an important role for a perfect coupling and uniformity in the size of the stacked QDs. The narrow photoluminescence line width of 17.6 meV was successfully obtained from the stacked InAs QDs.     

Growth of SrTiO3 on Si(001) by hybrid molecular beam epitaxy

We report the heteroepitaxial growth of SrTiO₃ thin films on Si(001) by hybrid molecular beam epitaxy (hMBE). Here, elemental strontium and the metal‐organic precursor titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) were co‐supplied in the absence of additional oxygen. The carbonization of pristine Si surfaces during native oxide removal was avoided by freshly evaporating Sr into the hMBE reactor prior to loading samples. Nucleation, growth and crystallization behavior as well a structural properties and film surfaces were characterized for a series of 46‐nm‐thick SrTiO₃ films grown with varying Sr to TTIP fluxes to study the effect of non‐stoichiometric growth conditions on film lattice parameter and surface morphology. High quality SrTiO₃ thin films with epitaxial relationship (001)SrTiO₃ || (001)Si and [110]SrTiO₃ || [100]Si were demonstrated with an amorphous layer of around 4 nm thickness formed at the SrTiO₃/Si interface. The successful growth of high quality SrTiO₃ thin films with atomically smooth surfaces using a thin film technique with scalable growth rates provides a promising route towards heterogeneous integration of functional oxides on Si. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Temperature dependent characteristics of InAs/GaAs quantum dot laser grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy

We report on the temperature dependent lasing characteristics of InAs/GaAs quantum dot lasers under continuous wave mode. The five-stacked InAs quantum dots were grown by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy with slightly different thickness. Ridge waveguide laser with stripe width of 6 μm was processed on the growth structure. The characteristic temperature was measured as high as infinity in the temperature range of 80–180 k. With the increase of injection current, the lasing spectra of laser diode broaden gradually at low temperature of 80 k. However, when the operation temperature increases from 80 to 300 K, the width of lasing spectrum reduces gradually from 40 to 2.0 nm. The lasing process is obviously different from that of a reference quantum well laser which widens its width of lasing spectra by increasing operation temperature. These experiments demonstrate that a carrier transfer from the smaller size of dots into larger dots caused by thermal effect play an important role in the lasing characteristic of quantum dot lasers. In addition, the laser can operate at maximum temperature of 80 °C under continuous wave mode with a maximum output power of 52 mW from one facet at 20 °C. A wavelength thermal coefficient of 0.196 nm/K is obtained, which is 2.8 times lower than that of QW laser. The low wavelength thermal coefficient of quantum dot laser is mainly attributed to its broad gain profile and state filling effects.     

Current transport in ZnO/Si heterostructure grown by laser molecular beam epitaxy

The n-ZnO/p-Si heterojunction was fabricated by depositing high quality single crystalline aluminium-doped n-type ZnO film on p-type Si using the laser molecular beam epitaxy technique. The heterojunction exhibited a good rectifying behavior. The electrical properties of the heterojunction were investigated by means of temperature dependence current density-voltage measurements. The mechanism of the current transport was proposed based on the band structure of the heterojunction. When the applied bias V is lower than 0.15 V, the current follows the Ohmic behavior. When 0.15V 0.6 V), the space charge limited effect becomes the main transport mechanism. The current-voltage characteristic under illumination was also investigated. The photovoltage and the short circuit current density of the heterojunction aproached 270 mV and 2.10 mA/cm 2 , respectively.     

基于分子束外延生长的1.05 eV InGaAsP的超快光学特性研究

利用分子束外延方法制备了应用于四结光伏电池的1.05 eV InGaAsP薄膜, 并对其超快光学特性进行了研究. 温度和激发功率有关的发光特性表明: InGaAsP材料以自由激子发光为主. 室温下InGaAsP材料的载流子发光弛豫时间达到10.4 ns, 且随激发功率增大而增大. 发光弛豫时间随温度升高呈现S形变化, 在低于50 K时随温度升高而增大, 在50–150 K之间时减小, 而温度高于150 K时再次增大. 基于载流子弛豫动力学, 分析并解释了温度及非辐射复合中心浓度对样品材料载流子发光弛豫时间S形变化的影响.     

Comparison of blue–green response between transmission-mode GaAsP-and GaAs-based photocathodes grown by molecular beam epitaxy

In order to develop the photodetector for effective blue–green response, the 18-mm-diameter vacuum image tube combined with the transmission-mode Al_(0.7)Ga_(0.3)As_(0.9)P_(0.1)/GaAs_(0.9)P_(0.1) photocathode grown by molecular beam epitaxy is tentatively fabricated. A comparison of photoelectric property, spectral characteristic and performance parameter between the transmission-mode GaAsP-based and blue-extended GaAs-based photocathodes shows that the GaAsP-based photocathode possesses better absorption and higher quantum efficiency in the blue–green waveband, combined with a larger surface electron escape probability. Especially, the quantum efficiency at 532 nm for the GaAsP-based photocathode achieves as high as 59%, nearly twice that for the blue-extended GaAs-based one, which would be more conducive to the underwater range-gated imaging based on laser illumination. Moreover, the simulation results show that the favorable blue–green response can be achieved by optimizing the emission-layer thickness in a range of 0.4 μm–0.6 μm.     

Quantum dots-templated growth of strain-relaxed GaN on a c-plane sapphire by radio-frequency molecular beam epitaxy

We investigated the quantum dots-templated growth of a(0001) GaN film on a c-plane sapphire substrate.The growth was carried out in a radio-frequency molecular beam epitaxy system.The enlargement and coalescence of grains on the GaN quantum dots template was observed in the atom force microscopy images,as well as the more ideal surface morphology of the GaN epitaxial film on the quantum dots template compared with the one on the AlN buffer.The Ga polarity was confirmed by the reflected high energy electron diffraction patterns and the Raman spectra.The significant strain relaxation in the quantum dots-templated GaN film was calculated based on the Raman spectra and the X-ray rocking curves.Meanwhile,the threading dislocation density in the quantum dots-templated film was estimated to be 7.1×107cm-2,which was significantly suppressed compared with that of the AlN-buffered GaN film.The roomtemperature Hall measurement showed an electron mobility of up to 1860cm2 /V·s in the two-dimensional electron gas at the interface of the Al 0.25Ga0.75 N/GaN heterojunction.     

Growth by molecular beam epitaxy of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors on Si-on-polySiC

We report on the growth by molecular beam epitaxy of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) on Si(111)/ SiO₂/polySiC substrates. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of these films are studied and compared with those of heterostructures grown on thick Si(111) substrates. Field effect transistors have been realized, and they demonstrate the potentialities of III–V nitrides grown on these advanced substrates.     

Effects of AlN nucleation layer thickness on crystal quality of AlN grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

In this paper,the effects of thickness of AlN nucleation layer grown at high temperature on AlN epi-layer crystalline quality are investigated.Crack-free AlN samples with various nucleation thicknesses are grown on sapphire substrates by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy.The AlN crystalline quality is analysed by transmission electron microscope and x-ray diffraction (XRD) rocking curves in both (002) and (102) planes.The surface profiles of nucleation layer with different thicknesses after in-situ annealing are also analysed by atomic force microscope.A critical nucleation thickness for realising high quality AlN films is found.When the nucleation thickness is above a certain value,the (102) XRD full width at half maximum (FWHM) of AlN bulk increases with nucleation thickness increasing,whereas the (002) XRD FWHM shows an opposite trend.These phenomena can be attributed to the characteristics of nucleation islands and the evolution of crystal grains during AlN main layer growth.     

Molecular beam epitaxy of III–V semiconductors

Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has been instrumental in the advancement of the physics and technology of semiconductors that has occurred over the last few decades. The III-V material system has led the way in these new developments. This article discusses the technology of III-V MBE, highlights selected topics in its development, discusses growth mechanisms, and mentions possible future directions.