Abstract
We have examined the influence of spontaneous nano-patterning on the placement of InAs quantum dots (QDs) on (Al)GaAs surfaces using an experimental-computational approach. Both atomically flat and mounded surfaces, generated via a surface instability induced by the Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier, are employed as templates for the subsequent deposition of InAs QDs. Using height profiles from atomic-force micrographs, we simulate QD deposition with a 2D phase field model, which describes the time evolution of the InAs layer driven by a chemical potential gradient. For flat surfaces, phase-field simulations result in QD densities comparable to experimental observations. For mounded surfaces, the simulations reveal QDs preferentially positioned in regions of positive curvature (substrate valleys), e.g., at the edge of surface mounds, consistent with the anisotropic QD placement observed experimentally. We discuss the role of curvature-driven diffusion in the spontaneous ordering of QDs, demonstrating the applicability of this mechanism to AlGaAs mounds.
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