Conductivity and structure of ErAs nanoparticles embedded in GaAs pn junctions analyzed via conductive atomic force microscopy

Abstract

We have used conductive atomic force microscopy to investigate the influence of growth temperature on local current flow in GaAs pn junctions with embedded ErAs nanoparticles grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Three sets of samples, one with 1 ML ErAs deposited at different growth temperatures and two grown at 530 °C and 575 °C with varying ErAs depositions, were characterized. Statistical analysis of local current images suggests that the structures grown at 575 °C have about 3 times thicker ErAs nanoparticles than structures grown at 530 °C, resulting in degradation of conductivity due to reduced ErAs coverage. These findings explain previous studies of macroscopic tunnel junctions.