Controlled growth mechanism of ring-like In(Ga)As quantum Dot pairs on GaAs ring-ring-disk nanostructures templates

Abstract

The ring-like In(Ga)As quantum dot pairs (QDPs) is prepared on GaAs ring-ring-disk (R-R-D) nanostructures template by droplet epitaxy (DE) method. The surface morphology of GaAs samples are characterized with Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM), and studying local controlled growth mechanism of quantum dots (QDs) on GaAs R-R-D nanostructures. STM images show that In(Ga)As QDPs self-assembled a kind of complicated structure with one quantum dot (QD) pair in the center of nanostructures, other QDPs appearing both double rings and disk areas of original GaAs R-R-D nanostructures distributed like a exquisite ring. These In(Ga)As QDPs are uniformly arranged along the [1 $\bar{1}$ 0] direction of GaAs(001) surface. Combining Stranski-Krastanov (S-K) growth mode and the tensile effect of strain field in the [1 $\bar{1}$ 0] direction on sample surface, the nucleation position and distribution shape of ring-like In(Ga)As QDPs is locally controllable. It is found that high uniformly QDPs can be locally controlled by the original GaAs R-R-D nanostructures templates. These results can provide certain guiding significance for the controllable growth of QD by DE method.

Keywords

• ring-like In(Ga)As quantum dot pairs
• droplet epitaxy method
• local controlled growth
• strain effect