Study of the two-dimensional–three-dimensional growth mode transition in metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy of GaInP/InP quantum-sized structures

Abstract

Ga0.5In0.5P/InP quantum-sized structures, grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy, have been optically characterized by photoluminescence, cathodoluminescence, and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy. Additional structural information has been obtained by atomic force microscopy. We find that the two-dimensional layer-by-layer growth mode is limited to the growth of 1-ML-thick and, in part, 2-ML-thick quantum wells. The transition towards three-dimensional Stranski–Krastanow island growth occurs before the second monolayer of InP is completed. To further study the dynamics of the island formation, growth interruptions were introduced between the InP deposition and the subsequent growth of the upper GaInP barrier. The two types of coherent islands show a quantum confinement in vertical direction, corresponding to about 2- and 3-ML-thick and about 9- and 10-ML-thick InP strained quantum wells.