Cross-Sectional Evolution and Its Mechanism during Selective Molecular Beam Epitaxy Growth of GaAs Quantum Wires on (111)B Substrates

Abstract

The mechanism of the cross-sectional evolution during the selective growth of GaAs quantum wires (QWRs) on (111)B-patterned substrates was studied in detail both experimentally and theoretically. For this purpose, growth experiments were carried out on <-1-12>-oriented wires by systematically changing growth conditions and pattern sizes. A detailed investigation on cross sections of wires has shown that the lateral wire width is determined by facet boundaries (FBs) within AlGaAs layers separating growth regions on top facets from those on side facets of mesa structures. FBs were found to be planar or curved, depending on initial pattern sizes and growth conditions. Computer simulation based on a phenomenological growth model was attempted, taking account of the facet-angle-dependent lifetime of adatoms. The simulation well reproduced the experimentally observed growth features including the evolution of FBs, indicating that the cross sections of wires grown on (111)B-patterned substrates are kinetically controlled by the pattern sizes and growth conditions.