The Study of GaInAsP/InP Heterostructures with an Array of InAs Nanoislands

Abstract

It is shown experimentally that arrays of InAs nanoislands could be grown on the surface of GaInAsP solid solutions, isoperiodic to the InP substrate, by temperature-gradient zone recrystallization with pulse cooling and heating. The evolution of the morphology of InAs nanoislands on the surface of GaInAsP is studied as a function of the substrate temperature, temperature gradient, and crystallization time. Scanning electron microscopy and statistical analysis allow us to establish that the array of InAs nanoislands with dimensions of 35–50 nm has the highest density. The photoluminescence is measured, which shows the spectra to have a complex pattern and the radiative recombination to be implemented through the ground states in InAs nanoislands. The large spectral width at half maximum of the radiation (∆E = 171 meV) is due to a scatter in the geometric sizes of nanoislands in the array. Measurements of the photosensitivity spectra show an extension of the spectral range to longer wavelengths for InAs/GaInAsP/InP heterostructures compared to GaInAsP/InP ones.