Quantum-engineering of III–V semiconductor structures

Abstract

We review some of the recent advances and developments in the field of III–V semiconductor quantum structures. We emphasize particularly the recent development of laterally confined structures in which self-assembly processes play an important role. The well eontrolled eritaxy of films of the III–V materials permits size-engineering of the materials in the growth direction. Further lateral confinement can be obtained using lithographic techniques to their limits or, going beyond these limits, by using the self-organizing motion of the atoms during the growth, such as in the case of V-grooves, patterned substrate, cleaved edge overgrowth, tilted or serpentine superlattices, or self-organizing quantum dots formed by the spontaneous coherent islanding effect during the growth of highly strained semiconductors. The influence of atomic-scale size-fluctuations on the confined energy levels will be examined in such quantum structures.