Nanoscale selective area epitaxy for optoelectronic devices

Abstract

Self-assembled quantum dots have been heavily researched in recent years because of the potential applications to quantum electronic and optoelectronic devices they present. The non-uniformity and random ordering resulting from the self-assembly processes, however, are detrimental to potential applications, prohibiting the type of engineering control necessary for complex systems. The work presented in this document has sought to overcome the limitations of self-assembly by combining selective area epitaxy via MOCVD with high-resolution electron beam lithography to achieve lateral control over semiconductor structures at the nanometer scale. Two different structures are presented. The first is patterned quantum dots which improve on the uniformity and order of similar self-assembled quantum dots. The second is an entirely novel structure, the nanopore active layer, which demonstrates the potential for this process to extend beyond the constraints of self-assembly. Experimental and theoretical results for both structures are presented.