Understanding and improving the low optical emission of InGaAs quantum wells grown on oxidized patterned (001) silicon substrate

• Published in: Applied physics letters 2018-05, Vol.112 (20)
• Main Authors: Roque, J., Haas, B., David, S., Rochat, N., Bernier, N., Rouvière, J. L., Salem, B., Gergaud, P., Moeyaert, J., Martin, M., Bertin, F., Baron, T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied physics; Aspect ratio; Cathodoluminescence; Emission; Indium gallium arsenides; Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition; Optical properties; Organic chemistry; Physics; Quantum wells; Scanning electron microscopy; Scanning transmission electron microscopy; Silicon substrates; Transmission electron microscopy
• ISSN: 0003-6951; 1077-3118
• DOI: 10.1063/1.5027163

In 0.3 Ga 0.7 As quantum wells (QW) embedded in AlGaAs barriers and grown on oxidized patterned (001) silicon substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition using the aspect ratio trapping method are studied. An appropriate method combining cathodoluminescence and high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy characterization is performed to spatially correlate the optical and structural properties of the QW. A triple period (TP) ordering along the ⟨111⟩ direction induced by the temperature decrease during the growth to favor indium incorporation and aligned along the oxidized patterns is observed in the QW. Local ordering affects the band gap and contributes to the decrease of the optical emission efficiency. Using thermal annealing, we were able to remove the TP ordering and improve the QW optical emission by two orders of magnitude.