2007, 3(3):165-168.
Abstract:
We present a study on InAs/InGaAs QDs nanostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy on InGaAs metamorphic buffers, that are
designed so as to determine the strain of QD and, then, to shift the luminescence emission towards the 1.5 μm region (QD strain
engineering). Moreover, we embed the QDs in InAlAs or GaAs barriers in addition to the InGaAs confining layers, in order to
increase the activation energy for confined carrier thermal escape; thus, we reduce the thermal quenching of the photoluminescence,
which prevents room temperature emission in the long wavelength range. We study the dependence of QD properties, such as emission
energy and activation energy, on barrier thickness and height and we discuss how it is possible to compensate for the barrier-induced
QD emission blue-shift taking advantage of QD strain engineering. Furthermore, the combination of enhanced barriers and QD
strain engineering in such metamorphic QD nanostructures allowed us to obtain room temperature emission up to 1.46 μm, thus
proving how this is a valuable approach in the quest for 1.55 gmm room temperature emission from QDs grown on GaAs substrates.
The work has been partially supported by the “SANDiE” Network of Excellence of EU(contract no. NMP4-CT-2004-500101). The AFM
characterization has been carried out at CIM, University of Parma.