Effects of rapid thermal annealing on self-assembled InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots superlattice

• Published in: Journal of crystal growth 2000, Vol.208 (1), p.791-794
• Main Authors: Zhuang, Q.D, Li, J.M, Wang, X.X, Zeng, Y.P, Wang, Y.T, Wang, B.Q, Pan, L, Wu, J, Kong, M.Y, Lin, L.Y
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Annealing; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Exact sciences and technology; Iii-v semiconductors; InGaAs/GaAs; Low-dimensional structures (superlattices, quantum well structures, multilayers): structure, and nonelectronic properties; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Photoluminescence; Physics; Quantum dots; Superlattice; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); X-ray
• ISSN: 0022-0248; 1873-5002
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-0248(99)00504-7

Postgrowth rapid thermal annealing was used to study the relaxation mechanism and optical properties of InGaAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots superlattice grown by molecular beam epitaxy. It is found that a significant narrowing of the luminescence linewidth (from 80 to 42 meV) occurs together with about 86 meV blue shift at annealing temperature up to 950°C. Double crystal X-ray diffraction measurements show that the intensity of the satellite diffraction peak, which corresponds to the quantum dots superlattice, decreased with the increasing annealing temperature and disappeared at 750°C, but recovered and increased again at higher annealing temperatures. This behavior can be explained by two competing relaxation mechanisms; interdiffusion and favored migration. The study indicates that a suitable annealing treatment can improve the structural properties of the quantum dots superlattice.