Evolution of In-based compound semiconductor quantum dots on Si (001)

Abstract

The morphological evolution of InAs and InSb quantum dots grown on Si (001) by molecular beam epitaxy was studied by reflection high-energy electron diffraction and scanning probe microscopy. For the InSb/Si system, the maximum density of 1 × 1010 cm-2 was achieved at a growth temperature of 200 °C with the average base length and dot height of 80 nm and 1 nm, respectively. A broad luminescence band extending over 1.1-1.4 μm was observed at low temperature from the In-based quantum dots embedded in Si. The decay lifetimes of luminescence were of the order of submicroseconds, which indicates an indirect transition both in real- and in κ-space. Excessive thermal budget after the growth only resulted in the development of luminescence features characteristic of In-doped Si. © 2003 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.