Phonons in Ge/Si superlattices with Ge quantum dots

Ge/Si superlattices containing Ge quantum dots were prepared by molecular beam epitaxy and studied by resonant Raman scattering. It is shown that these structures possess vibrational properties of both two-and zero-dimensional objects. The folded acoustic phonons observed in the low-frequency region of the spectrum (up to 15th order) are typical for planar superlattices. The acoustic phonon lines overlap with a broad emission continuum that is due to the violation of the wave-vector conservation law by the quantum dots. An analysis of the Ge and Ge-Si optical phonons indicates that the Ge quantum dots are pseudoamorphous and that mixing of the Ge and Si atoms is insignificant. The longitudinal optical phonons undergo a low-frequency shift upon increasing laser excitation energy (2.54–2.71 eV) because of the confinement effect in small-sized quantum dots, which dominate resonant Raman scattering.     

Raman scattering of Ge dot superlattices

Self-organised Ge dot superlattices grown by molecular beam epitaxy of Ge and Si layers utilizing Stranski-Krastanov growth mode were investigated by Raman spectroscopy. An average size of Ge quantum dots was obtained from transmission electron microscopy measurements. The strain and interdiffusion of Ge and Si atoms in Ge quantum dots were estimated from the analysis of frequency positions of optical phonons observed in the Raman spectra. Raman scattering by folded longitudinal acoustic phonons in the Ge dot superlattices was observed and explained using of elastic continuum theory. Received 25 January 2000     

Optical phonons in Ge quantum dots obtained on Si(111)

The Raman light scattering from optical phonons of Ge quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy on a Si(111) surface is studied. A series of Raman lines related to the quantization of phonon spectrum is observed. It is shown that phonon frequencies are adequately described in terms of the elastic properties and the dispersion of the optical phonons of bulk Ge. The strain experienced by the Ge quantum dots is estimated.     

Phonons in Ge/Si quantum dot structures: influence of growth temperature

In this paper we present the results of a Raman study of Ge/Si quantum dot (QD) superlattices grown with different thicknesses of a Si interlayer and at different substrate temperatures. The built-in strain and atomic intermixing in the QDs are deduced from an analysis of optical phonon frequencies of the QDs obtained from Raman spectra of the structures.     

Photoluminescence enhancement in double Ge/Si quantum dot structures

The luminescence properties of double Ge/Si quantum dot structures are studied at liquid helium temperature depending on the Si spacer thickness d in QD molecules. A seven-fold increase in the integrated photoluminescence intensity is obtained for the structures with optimal thickness d = 2 nm. This enhancement is explained by increasing the overlap integral of electron and hole wavefunctions. Two main factors promote this increasing. The first one is that the electrons are localized at the QD base edges and their wavefunctions are the linear combinations of the states of in-plane Δ valleys, which are perpendicular in k-space to the growth direction [001]. This results in the increasing probability of electron penetration into Ge barriers. The second factor is the arrangement of Ge nanoclusters in closely spaced QD groups. The strong tunnel coupling of QDs within these groups increases the probability of hole finding at the QD base edge, that also promotes the increase in the radiative recombination probability.     

掺杂对多层Ge/Si(001)量子点光致发光的影响

利用超高真空化学气相沉积设备, 在Si (001) 衬底上外延生长了多个四层Ge/Si量子点样品. 通过原位掺杂的方法, 对不同样品中的Ge/Si量子点分别进行了未掺杂、磷掺杂和硼掺杂. 相比未掺杂的样品, 磷掺杂不影响Ge/Si量子点的表面形貌, 但可以有效增强其室温光致发光; 而硼掺杂会增强Ge/Si量子点的合并, 降低小尺寸Ge/Si量子点的密度, 但其光致发光会减弱. 磷掺杂增强Ge/Si量子点光致发光的原因是, 磷掺杂为Ge/Si量子点提供了更多参与辐射复合的电子. 关键词： Ge/Si量子点 磷掺杂 光致发光     

Ge/Si quantum dots in external electric and magnetic fields

Electric field-induced splitting of the lines of exciton optical transitions into two peaks is observed for Ge/Si structures with quantum dots (QDs). With increasing field, one of the peaks is displaced to higher optical transition energies (blue shift), whereas the other peack is shifted to lower energies (red shift). The results are explained in terms of the formation of electron-hole dipoles of two types differing in the direction of the dipole moment; these dipoles arise due to the localization of one electron at the apex of the Ge pyramid and of the other electron under the base of the pyramid. By using the tight-binding method, the principal values of the g factor for the hole states in Ge/Si quantum dots are determined. It is shown that the g factor is strongly anisotropic, with the anisotropy becoming smaller with decreasing QD size. The physical reason for the dependence of the g factor on quantum-dot size is the fact that the contributions from the states with different angular-momentum projections to the total wave function change with the QD size. Calculations show that, with decreasing QD size, the contribution from heavy-hole states with the angular-momentum projections ±3/2 decreases, while the contributions from light-hole states and from states of the spin-split-off band with the angular-momentum projections ±1/2 increase.     

On mechanism of the growth of the optical transitions strengths in Ge-quantum dots embedded in Si matrix

The Si/Ge heterostructure, the active area of which is composed of the Ge quantum dots (QD), is investigated theoretically. The high density of the Ge QDs array cannot be the dominant feature in the choice of an adequate model that can explain the experimentally observed increase in the intensity of luminescence. In the basis of such model the conditions are laid that increase the oscillator strength of exciton due to the ‘retraction’ of electronic states into the Ge QD core.     

Intraband photoresponse of SiGe quantum dot/quantum well multilayers

In this contribution we study the intravalence band photoexcitation of holes from self-assembled Ge quantum dots (QDs) in Si followed by spatial carrier transfer into SiGe quantum well (QW) channels located close to the Ge dot layers. The structures show maximum response in the important wavelength range 3–5 μm. The influence of the SiGe hole channel on photo- and dark current is studied depending on temperature and the spatial separation of QWs and dot layers. Introduction of the SiGe channel in the active region of the structure increases the photoresponsivity by up to about two orders of magnitude to values of 90 mA/W at T=20 K. The highest response values are obtained for structures with small layer separation (10 nm) that enable efficient transfer of photoexcited holes from QD to QW layers. The results indicate that Si/Ge QD structures with lateral photodetection promise very sensitive large area mid-infrared photodetectors with integrated readout microelectronics in Si technology.     

Influence of the quantum dot shape on the determination of the electronic structure and electron decoherence

Theoretical calculations of electron–phonon scattering rates in AlGaN/GaN quantum dots (QDs) have been performed by means of effective mass approximation in the frame of finite element method. The influence of a symmetry breaking of the carrier's wave function on the electron dephasing time is investigated for various QDs shapes. In a QD system the electron energy increases when the QD shape changes from a spherical to a non-spherical form. In addition, the influence of the QD shape upon the electronic structure can be modulated by external magnetic fields. We also show that the electron–acoustic phonon scattering rates strongly depend upon both the QD shape and the applied magnetic field. As an additional parameter, the QD shape can be used to modify the electron–acoustic phonon interaction in a wide range. Moreover, the scattering rate of different transitions, such as Δm=0(1), presents distinct magnetic field dependency.     

Interband photoconductivity of Ge/Si structures with self-organized quantum rings

At low temperatures a lateral photoconductivity (PC) of Ge/Si (1 0 0) self-organized quantum rings (QRs) structures as a function of interband light intensity has been investigated for different values of lateral voltage and temperature. In contrast to self-organized Ge/Si quantum dots (QDs) structures (grown at the same conditions) where the stepped PC was registered, for QRs structures essential smoothing of PC steps was observed. Such behavior is determined by decreasing of strain potential around QRs in conductive Si matrix due to a transfer of Ge atoms from the center of QDs to its periphery accompanied by Ge/Si intermixing.     

p型掺杂Si/Ge量子点的电子拉曼散射(英文)

在本文中我们首次报道了p型掺杂的自组织Si/Ge量子点中空穴能级子带间的电子拉曼散射,此电子跃迁的能量为105meV。Si/Ge量子点Ge Ge模的共振拉曼散射表明此空穴能级间的电子拉曼散射与Γ点附近的E0(≈2.52eV)发生了共振,而E1的能量小于2.3eV.变温实验和偏振实验进一步证实了我们的指认。所有观测的实验数据与6 bandk·p能带结构理论的计算结果吻合得很好。     

Photoconduction in tunnel-coupled Ge/Si quantum dot arrays

The photoconduction in a tunnel-coupled Ge/Si quantum dot (QD) array has been studied. The photoconductance (PC) sign can be either positive or negative, depending on the initial filling of QDs with holes. The PC kinetics has a long-term character (10²?10⁴ s at T = 4.2 K) and is accompanied by persistent photoconduction (PPC), whereby the PC value is not restored on the initial level even after relaxation for several hours. These phenomena are observed upon illumination by light with photon energies both greater and smaller than the silicon bandgap. A threshold light wavelength corresponding to a long-term PC kinetics depends on the QD filling with holes. A model describing the observed PC kinetics is proposed, according to which the main contribution to the PC is related to the degree of QD filling with holes. By applying the proposed model to the analysis of PC kinetics at various excitation levels, it is possible to determine the dependence of the hopping conductance on the number of holes per QD. The rate of the charge carrier density relaxation exponentially depends on the carrier density.     

Acoustic phonon impact on the inter-Coulombic decay process in charged quantum dot pairs

ABSTRACT

Recently, highly accurate multi-configuration time-dependent Hartree electron dynamics calculations demonstrated the efficient long-range energy transfer inter-Coulombic decay (ICD) process to happen in charged semiconductor quantum dot (QD) pairs. ICD is initiated by intraband photoexcitation of one of the QDs and leads to electron emission from the other within a duration of about 150 ps. On the same time scale electronically excited states are reported to relax due to the coupling of electrons to acoustic phonons. Likewise, phonons promote ionisation. Here, the QDs' acoustic breathing mode is implemented in a frozen-phonon approach. A detailed comparison of the phonon effects on electron relaxation and emission as well as on the full ICD process is presented, which supports the previous empirical finding of ICD being the dominant decay channel in paired QDs. In addition the relative importance of phonon–phonon, phonon–electron and electron–electron interaction is analysed.     

Strong generation of coherent acoustic phonons in semiconductor quantum dots

We present experimental results obtained in two-color pump-probe experiments performed in semiconductor self-assembled quantum dot (QD) layers. The sample reflectivities present several acoustic contributions, among which are strong acoustic phonon wave packets. A comparison between one- and two-color experiments and a fine analysis of the echo shape attest that a high magnitude phonon pulse emerges from each single QD layer. This conclusion is supported by a numerical modeling which perfectly reproduces our experimental signals only if we introduce a strong generation in each QD layer. We explain such a strong emission thanks to an efficient capture of the carriers by the QDs.     

Photoconductivity of Si/Ge/SiO<Subscript>x</Subscript> and Si/Ge/Si structures with germanium quantum dots

A nonmonotonic dependence of the lateral photoconductivity (PC) on the interband light intensity is observed in Si/Ge/Si and Si/Ge/SiO_x structures with self-organized germanium quantum dots (QDs): in addition to a stepped increase in PC, a stepped decrease in PC is also observed. The effect of temperature and drive field on these features of the PC for both types of structures with a maximum nominal thickness of the Ge layer (N_Ge) is studied. The results obtained are discussed in the context of percolation theory for nonequilibrium carriers localized in different regions of the structure: electrons in the silicon matrix and holes in QDs.     

Correct Evaluation of the Effect of Transverse Effective Charges on Phonons in AlAs Quantum Dots

An improved valence force field model (VFFM) is suggested to calculate the phonon modes in both bulk specimens and quantum dots (QDs) of AlAs taking account of the effect of transverse effective charges (TOs) correctly.The resultant dispersions of AlAs bulk phonons are in accord better with the results carefully fitted to the experimental data by using 11-parameters rigid-ion model, than those got by ordinary VFFM, especially in the region of near Г point. For AlAs QDs, TCs are evaluated bond by bond for each phonon mode of QD and its effect on the change of the force on atoms is taken into account to modify further the phonon spectrum. The frequency spectra and densities ofphonon states of d/fferent irreducible representations calculated by using improved VFFM are compared with the results of ordinary VFFM. The correct evaluation of the TOs is not only important in calculating the phonon spectrum of both bulk and QD specimens accurately, but is also in the further discussion of the electron-phonon (e-ph) interaction, which can be directly related to TCs of ions in QD.