Intense photoluminescence from self-assembling InGaN quantum dots artificially fabricated on AlGaN surfaces

Abstract

We demonstrate photoluminescence (PL) from self-assembling InGaN quantum dots (QDs), which are artificially fabricated on AlGaN surfaces via metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. InGaN QDs are successfully fabricated by the growth mode transition to three-dimensional nanoscale island formation by using “antisurfactant” silicon on AlGaN surface. The diameter and height of the fabricated InGaN QDs are estimated to be ∼10 nm and ∼5 nm, respectively, by an atomic-force microscope (AFM). Indium mole fraction of InxGa1−xN QDs is controlled from x=∼0.22 to ∼0.52 by varying the growth temperature of QDs. Intense photoluminescence is observed even at room temperature from InGaN QDs embedded with the GaN capping layers. In addition, from the temperature dependence of the PL-peak energy, we convincingly show that the PL emission actually comes from the InGaN QDs.