Title: Design of semiconductor surface pits for fabrication of regular arrays of quantum dots and nanorings

Abstract

We report a systematic computational study on the formation of complex nanostructures consisting of quantum dots and nanorings on surfaces of coherently strained thin films grown epitaxially on pit-patterned substrates. The analysis is based on self-consistent dynamical simulations according to a film surface evolution model that has been validated experimentally by comparison of its predictions with experimental observations on Ge films grown on Si pit-patterned substrates and is supported by linear stability theory that explains the film surface nanopattern formation as the outcome of a Stranski-Krastanow instability. Emphasis is placed on the design of conical pit patterns and the effects on the resulting film surface nanopattern of varying geometrical design parameters including film thickness, pit-pattern period, pit depth, pit opening diameter, and pit wall inclination. We demonstrate that varying the pit opening diameter and the pit wall slope leads to formation of complex nanostructures inside the pits of a regular pit pattern on the film surface, which include quantum dots, as well as single nanorings and multiple concentric nanorings that may or may not surround a central quantum dot inside each pit. Our simulation predictions demonstrate that the ordered nanostructure patterns forming on the film surface can be controlled preciselymore » by tuning the geometrical parameters of the pits on the pit-patterned substrate. Our findings have important implications for designing optimal semiconductor surface patterns toward enabling future nanofabrication technologies.« less

Authors:

Kumar, Ashish  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Kumar, Ashish"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0003-0085-2812"

Chen, Chao-Shou  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Chen, Chao-Shou"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0003-0791-0042"

Maroudas, Dimitrios  ^[1]

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Maroudas, Dimitrios"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0001-9297-8839"

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

Publication Date:

Wed Jan 30 00:00:00 EST 2019

Research Org.:

Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC)

OSTI Identifier:

1609857

Grant/Contract Number:  

FG02-07ER46407

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Journal of Applied Physics

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 125; Journal Issue: 4; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979

Publisher:

American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; Physics; Nanofabrication; Self assembly; Numerical methods; Surface morphology; Linear stability analysis; Epitaxy; Complex nanostructures; Quantum dots; Thin films; Semiconductors