Local droplet etching on InAlAs/InP surfaces with InAl droplets

authored by: Xin Cao, Yiteng Zhang, Chenxi Ma, Yinan Wang, Benedikt Brechtken, Rolf J. Haug, Eddy P. Rugeramigabo, Michael Zopf, Fei Ding
Abstract: GaAs quantum dots (QDs) grown by local droplet etching (LDE) have been studied extensively in recent years. The LDE method allows for high crystallinity, as well as precise control of the density, morphology, and size of QDs. These properties make GaAs QDs an ideal candidate as single photon and entangled photon sources at short wavelengths (<800 nm). For technologically important telecom wavelengths, however, it is still unclear whether LDE grown QDs can be realized. Controlling the growth conditions does not enable shifting the wavelength of GaAs QDs to the telecom region. New recipes will have to be established. In this work, we study Indium-Aluminum (InAl) droplet etching on ultra-smooth In0.55Al0.45As surfaces on InP substrates, with a goal to lay the foundation for growing symmetrical and strain-free telecom QDs using the LDE method. We report that both droplets start to etch nanoholes at a substrate temperature above 415 °C, showing varying nanohole morphology and rapidly changing density (by more than one order of magnitude) at different temperatures. Al and In droplets are found to not intermix during etching, and instead etch nanoholes individually. The obtained nanoholes show a symmetric profile and very low densities, enabling infilling of lattice-matched InGaAs QDs on InxAl1-xAs/InP surfaces in further works.
Organisation(s): Nanostructures Section
Surfaces Science Section
Laboratory of Nano and Quantum Engineering
Institute of Solid State Physics
QuantumFrontiers
Type: Article
Journal: AIP Advances
Volume: 12
ISSN: 2158-3226
Publication date: 02.05.2022
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Physics and Astronomy(all)
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0088012 (Access: Closed)

BibTeX

@article{592d6acf7c2c4ec3acd7c802a27fb105,
title = "Local droplet etching on InAlAs/InP surfaces with InAl droplets",
abstract = "GaAs quantum dots (QDs) grown by local droplet etching (LDE) have been studied extensively in recent years. The LDE method allows for high crystallinity, as well as precise control of the density, morphology, and size of QDs. These properties make GaAs QDs an ideal candidate as single photon and entangled photon sources at short wavelengths (<800 nm). For technologically important telecom wavelengths, however, it is still unclear whether LDE grown QDs can be realized. Controlling the growth conditions does not enable shifting the wavelength of GaAs QDs to the telecom region. New recipes will have to be established. In this work, we study Indium-Aluminum (InAl) droplet etching on ultra-smooth In0.55Al0.45As surfaces on InP substrates, with a goal to lay the foundation for growing symmetrical and strain-free telecom QDs using the LDE method. We report that both droplets start to etch nanoholes at a substrate temperature above 415 °C, showing varying nanohole morphology and rapidly changing density (by more than one order of magnitude) at different temperatures. Al and In droplets are found to not intermix during etching, and instead etch nanoholes individually. The obtained nanoholes show a symmetric profile and very low densities, enabling infilling of lattice-matched InGaAs QDs on InxAl1-xAs/InP surfaces in further works. ",
author = "Xin Cao and Yiteng Zhang and Chenxi Ma and Yinan Wang and Benedikt Brechtken and Haug, {Rolf J.} and Rugeramigabo, {Eddy P.} and Michael Zopf and Fei Ding",
note = "Funding Information: The authors acknowledge the funding by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the project Q.Link.X (Grant No. 16KIS0869) and QR.X (Grant No. 16KISQ015), the European Research Council (Grant No. QD-NOMS GA715770), and the German Research Foundation under Germany{\textquoteright}s Excellence Strategy—EXC-2123, Quantum Frontiers—Grant Nos. 390837967 and 454635269. Y. Zhang acknowledges the China Scholarship Council (Grant No. CSC201908370225). ",
year = "2022",
month = may,
day = "2",
doi = "10.1063/5.0088012",
language = "English",
volume = "12",
journal = "AIP Advances",
issn = "2158-3226",
publisher = "American Institute of Physics",
number = "5",
}