Growth of InAs/GaAs quantum dots on Si, Ge/Si and germanium-on-insulator-on-silicon (GeOI) substrates emitting in the 1.3 μm band for silicon photonics

• Published in: Journal of crystal growth Vol. 315; no. 1; pp. 114 - 118
• Main Authors: Rajesh, Mohan, Bordel, Damien, Kawaguchi, Kenichi, Faure, Stephane, Nishioka, Masao, Augendre, Emmanuel, Clavelier, Laurent, Guimard, Denis, Arakawa, Yasuhiko
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15.01.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: A1. Nanostructures; A3. Metal organic chemical vapor deposition; B2. Semiconducting III–V materials; B2. Semiconducting indium compound; B2. Semiconducting silicon; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Other semiconductors; Other topics in nanoscale materials and structures; Physics; Quantum dots; Specific materials; Theory and models of film growth; A3. Metal organic chemical vapor deposition; B2. Semiconducting indium compound; B2. Semiconducting III–V materials; A1. Nanostructures; B2. Semiconducting silicon; Buffer layer; Gallium arsenides; B2. Semiconducting III―V materials; Ground states; Quantum dots; Photoluminescence; Roughness; Photonic device; Nanostructures; MOCVD; Indium arsenides; III-V compound; Self-assembly; Growth mechanism; Germanium; Silicon; Indium compounds; Coalescence; Nanostructured materials; III-V semiconductors
• ISSN: 0022-0248; 1873-5002
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2010.09.019

We report the growth of self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) on Si, Ge/Si and germanium-on-insulator-on-silicon (GeOI) substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. GaAs layers with lower surface roughness (root mean square roughness of 1 nm) and higher structural quality were obtained on Ge/Si and GeOI compared to those obtained on Si substrate. We showed that the introduction of a QD layer within the GaAs buffer layer was efficient in suppressing the propagation of anti-phase domains to the GaAs surface for both cases of Ge/Si and GeOI substrates. Coalescence-free QDs with densities above 10 10 cm −2 and ground state emission in the 1.3 μm band at room temperature were obtained on all substrates. QDs grown on GeOI yield the highest photoluminescence (PL) intensity, and quite remarkably, have similar PL intensity as those grown on GaAs substrate. These results suggest the better suitability of GeOI substrate compared to Si or Ge/Si substrates for the monolithic integration of QD-based lasers on silicon (or any other III–V photonic device) for silicon photonics.