InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot heterostructures for 3–5 μm IR detectors

Specific features in the formation of InAs quantum dots (QD) by MOCVD were studied in relation to the growing time or equivalent thickness of the InAs layer. TEM and photoluminescence studies have shown that, as the growing time of QDs in a GaAs matrix becomes longer, both the size and shape of the QDs are modified; namely, the aspect ratio increases. Selectively doped multilayer InGaAs/GaAs QD structures were fabricated, and photoconductivity in the IR range was studied for lateral and vertical electron transport. Under a normal incidence of light, intraband photoconductivity in the mid-IR range, 2.5–5 μm, was observed at temperatures of up to 110 K.     

InGaAs/GaAs量子点红外探测器

与量子阱红外探测器相比,量子点红外探测器具有不制作表面光栅就能在垂直入射红外光照射下工作以及工作温度更高等优势。然而,目前阻碍量子点红外探测器性能提高的技术瓶颈主要来自组装量子点较差的大小均匀性、较低的量子点密度以及垂直入射下子带跃迁吸收效率低等原因。利用分子束外延技术研究了如何从量子点材料生长和器件设计两方面来克服这些困难,并且制作了几种不同结构的InGaAs/GaAs量子点红外探测器。 在77 K时,这些器件在垂直入射条件下观察到了很强的光电流信号。     

GaAs/InGaAs量子点探测器件微光读出研究

GaAs/InGaAs量子点光电探测器,在633 nm激光辐射3.5 nW条件下,器件偏压-1.4 V时,测得响应电流8.9×10-9A,电流响应率达到2.54 A/W,量子注入效率超过90%。基于GaAs/InGaAs量子点光电探测器的高量子注入效率、高灵敏度等特点,采用具有稳定的电压偏置,高注入效率和低噪声特点的CTIA(电容互阻跨导放大器)作为列放大器读出结构,输出部分采用相关双采样(CDS)结构去除系统和背景噪声。实验结果表明,在3.5 nW的微光辐射下,器件偏压为-2.5 V时,50μm×50μm像素探测器与读出电路互联后有7.14×107V/W的电压响应率。     

The role of intersubband optical transitions on the electrical properties of InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot solar cells

We report on an experimental study of the intersubband optical response of an In_0.5Ga_0.5As/GaAs quantum dot solar cell (QDSC). By calculating the quantum dot absorption cross section, the strength of the intersubband optical transitions is gauged, and their importance and influence on the electrical properties of the solar cell can be compared with those of other physical processes such as thermal intersubband and optical interband transitions. The temperature‐dependent photocurrent and dark current characteristics of the QDSC have also been analyzed in detail, leading to an understanding of the specific effects reducing the open‐circuit voltage. The deviation of QDSCs from idealized models is discussed, and some conditions required for an improved open‐circuit voltage are suggested. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reliability study of InAs/InGaAs quantum dot diode lasers

Ridge-waveguide lasers with an InAs/InGaAs quantum dot active region have been subjected to accelerated ageing at 65 and 85/spl deg/C. No sudden failure was found during the 2070 h test. Activation energy of 0.79 eV was estimated, suggesting the 40/spl deg/C-lifetime >10/sup 6/ h.     

Measurement of modal gain in 1.1 /spl mu/m p-doped tunnel injection InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot laser heterostructures

Single-pass optical gain of self-assembled InGaAs/GaAs p-doped tunnel injection quantum dot laser heterostructures emitting at 1.1 /spl mu/m is measured by the multisection device technique. The heterostructures, consisting of three layers of quantum dots in the active region, demonstrate net modal gain as high as 57 cm/sup -1/.     

Annealing behavior of InAs/GaAs quantum dot structures

We investigate the annealing behavior of InAs layers with different thicknesses in a GaAs matrix. The diffusion enhancement by strain, which is well established in strained quantum wells, occurs in InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs). A shift of the QD luminescence peak toward higher energies results from this enhanced diffusion. In the case of structures where a significant portion of the strain is relaxed by dislocations, the interdiffusion becomes negligible, and there is a propensity to generate additional dislocations. This results in a decrease of the QD luminescence intensity, and the QD peak energy is weakly affected.     

Simulated analysis for InGaP/GaAs heterostructure-emitter bipolar transistor with InGaAs/GaAs superlattice-base structure

A novel InGaP/GaAs heterostructure-emitter bipolar transistor (HEBT) with InGaAs/GaAs superlattice-base structure is proposed and demonstrated by two-dimensional analysis. As compared with the traditional HEBT, the studied superlattice-base device exhibits a higher collector current, a higher current gain of 246, and a lower base–emitter (B–E) turn-on voltage of 0.966 V at a current level of 1 μA, attributed to the increased charge storage of minority carriers in the InGaAs/GaAs superlattice-base region by tunneling behavior. The low turn-on voltage can reduce the operating voltage and collector–emitter offset voltage for low power consumption in circuit applications.     

Lasing emission of InGaAs quantum dot microdisk diodes

An improved three-arm airbridge contacted microdisk diode structure is presented. Continuous-wave lasing from InGaAs quantum dot (QD) in a /spl sim/4-/spl mu/m-diameter microdisks is reported with the threshold current /spl sim/40 /spl mu/A at T=5 K. With the increase of injection current, the QD's emission blueshifts due to the band-filling effect, while the laser mode peak redshifts by thermal effect. When the QD's gain spectra shift out of alignment with the lasing mode, the next available whispering gallery mode starts lasing from QD wetting layer. The thermal heating effect is discussed by investigating the modes redshift with respect to injection current.     

Photoreflectance spectroscopy of electron-hole states in a graded-width GaAs/InGaAs/GaAs quantum well

The spectrum of electron-hole states in a GaAs/In_0.5Ga_0.5As quantum well with a width graded in the range from 1.1 to 3.6 nm is studied by photoreflectance spectroscopy. The energies of the size-quantization levels of electrons and holes are calculated taking into account the strain-induced changes in the band structures of the quantum well. It is shown that the best fit of the experimental data to the results of calculations is attained if the ratio between the offset of the conduction band and that of the valence band at the heterojunction is Q = ΔE _c /ΔE _v = 0.62/0.38. A photoreflectance signal is detected in the region of the shadow of modulating radiation beam at a spacing between the spots produced by probing and modulating radiation shorter than 6 mm.     

Luminescence of stepped quantum wells in GaAs/GaAlAs and InGaAs/GaAs/GaAlAs structures

Luminescence spectra of doped and undoped GaAs/GaAlAs and InGaAs/GaAs/GaAlAs structures containing several tens of stepped quantum wells (QW) are investigated. The emission bands related to free and bound excitons and impurity states are observed in QW spectra. The luminescence excitation spectra indicate that the relaxation of free excitons to the e1hh1 state proceeds via the exciton mechanism, whereas an independent relaxation of electrons and holes is specific to bound excitons and impurity states. The energy levels for electrons and holes in stepped QWs, calculated in terms of Kane’s model, are compared with the data obtained from the luminescence excitation spectra. The analysis of the relative intensities of emission bands related to e1hh1 excitons and exciton states of higher energy shows that, as the optical excitation intensity increases, the e1hh1 transition is more readily saturated at higher temperature, because the lifetime of excitons increases. Under stronger excitation, the emission band of electron-hole plasma arises and increases in intensity superlinearly. At an excitation level of ～10⁵ W/cm², excitons are screened and the plasma emission band dominates in the QW emission. Nonequilibrium luminescence spectra obtained in a picosecond excitation and recording mode show that the e1hh1 and e2hh2 radiative transitions are 100% polarized in the plane of QWs.     

AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs quantum well doped channel heterostructure fieldeffect transistors

The results of experimental and theoretical studies of pseudomorphic AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs quantum-well doped-channel heterostructure field effect transistors (QW-DCHFETs) are presented. The channel doping was introduced in two ways: during growth by molecular beam epitaxy or by direct ion implantation. The latter technique may be advantageous for fabrication of complementary DCHFET circuits. Peak transconductances of 471 mS/mm and peak drain currents of 660 mA/mm in 0.6-μm-gate doped-channel devices were measured. The results show the advantages of the DCHFET over standard heterostructure FET structures and their potential for high-speed IC applications. Self-consisted calculations of the subband structure show that the potential barrier between the quasi-Fermi level in the channel and the bottom of the conduction band in the barrier layer is considerably larger for the doped channel structure than for the structure with an undoped channel. This lowers the thermionic emission gate current of the doped channel device compared to the undoped channel device     

Modeling and simulation of InAs/GaAs quantum dot lasers

Based on the analysis of carrier dynamics in quantum dots (QDs), the numerical model of InAs/GaAs QD laser is developed by means of complete rate equations. The model includes four energy levels and among them three energy levels join in lasing. A simulation is conducted by MATLAB according to the rate equation model we obtain. The simulation results of PI characteristic, gain characteristic and intensity modulation response are reasonable. Also, the relations between the left facet reflectivity of laser cavity and threshold current as well as modulation bandwidth are studied. It is indicated that the left facet reflectivity increasing can result in reduced threshold current and improved modulation bandwidth, which is in accordance with experimental results. The internal mechanism of QD lasers is fully described with the rate equation model, which is helpful for QD lasers research.     

高性能InAs/GaAs量子点外腔激光器

为了获得高性能的量子点外腔激光器(ECL),利用InAs/GaAs量子点Fabry-Perot(FP)腔激光器研制了光栅外腔可调谐ECL。对InAs/GaAs量子点ECL进行了一系列的性能测试,主要包括单模稳定性测试、单模调谐范围测试、阈值电流密度测试、无跳模连续调谐测试和输出功率测试。在室温条件下获得了24.6nm的连续调谐范围,覆盖波长从999.2nm到1 023.8nm,并且实现了波长无跳模连续调谐。在调谐范围内最低阈值电流密度为1 525A/cm2,而且在中心波长处获得的单模输出功率为15mW,单模边模抑制比(SMSR)高达35dB。研究结果表明,通过构建光栅外腔可以实现高性能的InAs/GaAs量子点ECL。     

Temperature insensitive 1.3 /spl mu/InGaAs=GaAs quantum dot distributed feedback lasers for 10 Gbit=s transmission over 21km

Long wavelength monomode InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) distributed feedback (DFB) lasers with emission wavelength around 1325 nm are presented. Threshold currents below 19 mA for operating temperatures up to 70degC and output powers of 10 mW at 25degC (6 mW at 70degC) are observed. Error-free 10 Gbit/s transmission over 21 km fibre with an extinction ratio of 8.5 dB at room temperature (5.1 dB at 70degC) is demonstrated. The low threshold, low temperature sensitivity and high modulation speed were realised using complex coupled DFB lasers with ten stacks of self-organised MBE-grown QD layers and p-type modulation doping     

1.46 μm room-temperature emission from InAs/InGaAs quantum dot nanostructures

We present a study on InAs/InGaAs QDs nanostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy on InGaAs metamorphic buffers, that are designed so as to determine the strain of QD and, then, to shift the luminescence emission towards the 1.5 μm region （QD strain engineering）. Moreover, we embed the QDs in InAIAs or GaAs barriers in addition to the InGaAs confining layers, in order to increase the activation energy for confined carrier thermal escape; thus, we reduce the thermal quenching of the photoluminescence, which prevents room temperature emission in the long wavelength range. We study the dependence of QD properties, such as emission energy and activation energy, on barrier thickness and height and we discuss how it is possible to compensate for the barrier-induced QD emission blue-shift taking advantage of QD strain engineering. Furthermore, the combination of enhanced barriers and QD strain engineering in such metamorphic QD nanostmctures allowed us to obtain room temperature emission up to 1.46μm, thus proving how this is a valuable approach in the auest for 1.55 um room temperature emission from ODs grown on GaAs substrates.     

InAs/InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot lasers of 1.3 μm range with high(88%) differential efficiency

Multiple layers (up to 10) of InAs/InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots considerably enhance the optical gain of quantum dot lasers emitting around 1.3 μm. A differential efficiency as high as 88% has been achieved in these lasers. An emission wavelength of 1.28 μm, threshold current density of 147 A/cm², differential efficiency of 80%, and characteristic temperature of 150 K have been realised simultaneously in one device     

Electrically pumped InGaAs quantum dot ring and cylindrical cavitylasers

Operation of an electrically pumped, cylindrical cavity laser containing a stack of five self-assembled InGaAs quantum dot layers is reported. A threshold current density of 47 A cm² is obtained at 150 K, with whispering gallery mode laser emission observed at ~1.2 eV. Fabrication of a ring cavity via the removal of part of the non-lasing central region of the cylinder results in a 30% reduction in threshold current     

Broad-area InAs/GaAs quantum dot lasers incorporating intermixed passive waveguide

InAs/GaAs quantum dot lasers incorporating passive waveguide created by post-growth intermixing processing have been studied. Emission wavelength of the passive section shows relative blueshift as high as 135 nm with respect to the emission wavelength of the active section. Intrinsic losses in the section formed by the intermixing are very small. Broad-area lasers with 100 mum stripe width incorporating intermixed section have demonstrated improvements in far-field pattern under both pulsed and continuous wave pumping current     

Self-organization of quantum dots in multilayer InAs/GaAs and InGaAs/GaAs structures in submonolayer epitaxy

The experimental results of RHEED and scanning tunneling microscopy investigations of multilayer structures of InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots, obtained by submonolayer epitaxy on singular and vicinal GaAS (100) substrates, are reported. The results presented show that spatial ordering of nano-objects exists in multilayer structures for InAs and heteroepitaxial InGaAs layers. Fiz. Tekh. Poluprovodn. 33, 733–737 (June 1999)