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.     

双层堆垛长波长InAs/GaAs量子点发光性质研究

研究了双层堆垛InAs/GaAs/InAs自组织量子点的生长和光致发光(PL)的物理性质。通过优化InAs淀积量、中间GaAs层厚度以及InAs量子点生长温度等生长条件,获得了室温光致发光1391～1438nm的高质量InAs量子点。研究发现对量子点GaAs间隔层实施原位退火、采用Sb辅助生长InGaAs盖层等方法可以增强高密度(2×1010 cm-2)InAs量子点的发光强度,减小光谱线宽,改善均匀性和红移发光波长。     

测定GaAs(001)衬底上InAs的生长速率

报道了间接测定InAs生长速率的方法.通过设置不同Ga源温度,固定In源温度;和固定Ga源温度,设置不同In源温度,在GaAs(001)衬底上生长GaAs与InGaAs,用RHEED强度振荡测定GaAs与InGaAs的生长速率.验证了InGaAs的生长速率为GaAs的生长速率与InAs的生长速率之和,得到了In源温度在845～880℃时InAs的生长速率曲线.     

Molecular beam epitaxy growth and characterization of self-assembled InAs quantum dots on (1 0 0) InAlAs/InP substrates

Self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) on In_0.52Al_0.48As layer lattice matched to (1 0 0) InP substrates have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL). TEM observations indicate that defect-free InAs QDs can be grown to obtain emissions over the technologically important 1.3–1.55 μm region. The PL peak positions for the QDs shift to low energy as the InAs coverage increases, corresponding to increase in QD size. The room temperature PL peak at 1.58 μm was observed from defect-free InAs QDs with average dot height of 3.6 nm.     

脉冲激光原位辐照对InAs/GaAs(001)量子点生长的影响

在InAs/GaAs(001)量子点生长过程中, 当InAs沉积量为0.9 ML时, 利用紫外纳秒脉冲激光辐照浸润层表面, 由于高温下In原子的不稳定性, 激光诱导的原子脱附效应被放大, 样品表面出现了原子层移除和纳米孔. 原子力显微镜测试表明纳米孔呈现以[110]方向为长轴(尺寸: 20-50 nm)、[110]方向为短轴(尺寸: 15-40 nm)的表面椭圆开口形状, 孔的深度为0.5-3 nm. 纳米孔的密度与脉冲激光的能量密度正相关. 脉冲激光的辐照对量子点生长产生了显著的影响: 一方面由于纳米孔的表面自由能低, 沉积的InAs优先迁移到孔内, 纳米孔成为量子点优先成核的位置; 另一方面, 孔外的区域因为In原子的脱附, 量子点的成核被抑制. 由于带有纳米孔的浸润层表面具有类似于传统微纳加工技术制备的图形衬底对量子点选择性生长的功能, 该研究为量子点的可控生长提供了一种新的思路.     

InAs nanostructures on InP (001) substrate with the insertion of a superthin AlAs layer

An AlAs layer of two or three monolayers was inserted beneath the strained InAs layer in the fabrication of InAs nanostructure on the In_0.53Ga_0.47As and In_0.52Al_0.48As buffer layer lattice-matched to InP(001) substrate using molecular beam epitaxy. The effects of AlAs insertion on the InAs nanostructures were investigated and discussed.      

Synthesis of NIR‐Emitting InAs‐Based Core/Shell Quantum Dots with the Use of Tripyrazolylarsane as Arsenic Precursor

Tris(3,5‐dimethylpyrazolyl)arsane (1) is introduced as a low‐cost and convenient to handle arsenic precursor for the straight forward synthesis of InAs quantum dots (QDs). Transamination of 1 with the solvent oleylamine (OLAH) gives trioleylarsane (As(OLA)₃) which in the presence of the reducing agents diisobutylaluminum hydride (DIBAL‐H) or trioleylphosphane (P(OLA)₃) yields InAs QDs via a typical hot injection approach. The size of the obtained InAs core QDs are tuned by varying the reaction time, the amount of the applied reducing agent, or even more effectively by changing the indium and/or zinc halide precursors, InX₃, and ZnX₂ (Cl, Br, or I). Passivation of the resulting InAs particles with a protective ZnS or ZnSe shell results in improved photoluminescence of the core/shell QDs covering a spectral range between 600 and 1150 nm.     

Competition between strain and confinement effects on the crystalline quality of InAs/GaAs (001) quantum dots probed by Raman spectroscopy

Self‐organized quantum dots (SOQDs) of InAs/GaAs (001) prepared at low growth temperatures have been carried out by Raman spectroscopy. The structural study performed on these samples using atomic force microscopy showed the presence of two families of quantum dots, and these results were confirmed by analysis of Raman spectra. The low temperature growth leads to smaller dots with nonuniform sizes. The disagreement between the lattice parameters violated the selection rules, and all Raman modes could be observed. SOQDs Raman spectrum shows contribution from the GaAs substrate, the wetting layer, InAs quantum dots and InGaAs alloys at InAs/GaAs interface. A spatial correlation model including the different vibration modes was used to adjust the experimental result. A good agreement of theoretical and experimental results was obtained. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optical anisotropy and surface morphology of InGaAs lattice-mismatched with GaAs(0 0 1)

We investigated surface morphology and optical anisotropy of strained InGaAs films grown on GaAs(0 0 1) substrate using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and reflectance difference/reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy (RDS/RAS). High temperature (HT)-grown samples were found to have a rippled surface structure, however for films grown using a low temperature (LT) growth technique, the surface morphology was significantly improved, without the ripple structure seen on the HT samples. Furthermore, ex situ RD spectra of LT-grown samples showed notable peaks near the critical energies of band structure originated from bulk electronic transitions.