Antimonide Quantum Dot Nanostructures for Novel Photonic Device Applications

Abstract

The 3D confinement of carriers in quantum dot (QD) structures offers an attractive alternative compared with bulk or quantum well (QW) structures for optoelectronic devices because of the improved (d-like) density of states (DOS) leading to higher radiative transition rates, narrower spectral linewidth, and the possibility to minimize Auger recombination. This chapter is concerned with the molecular beam epitaxial growth and optical properties of self-assembled InSb and GaSb QDs in InAs and GaAs, respectively. Section 6.2 describes investigations into the growth of InSb on InAs using conventional Stranski-Krastanov growth. In Section 6.3 the structural and optical properties of InSb submonolayer QDs grown using an Sb-As exchange reaction are described, and their performance within a p-i-n LED is evaluated. The growth of GaSb QDs in GaAs is reported in Section 6.4 together with the formation of quantum rings (QRs), and the application of stacks of such GaSb QRs within a solar cell is described in Section 6.5. © 2013 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)