Surface segregation effects of erbium in GaAs growth and their implications for optical devices containing ErAs nanostructures

Journal Article · Mon Mar 21 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3565168· OSTI ID:21518332

Crook, Adam M; Nair, Hari P; Bank, Seth R ^[1]

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1. University of Texas at Austin, Microelectronics Research Center, 10100 Burnet Rd. Bldg. 160, Austin, Texas 78758 (United States)

We report on the integration of semimetallic ErAs nanoparticles with high optical quality GaAs-based semiconductors, grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Secondary ion mass spectrometry and photoluminescence measurements provide evidence of surface segregation and incorporation of erbium into layers grown with the erbium cell hot, despite the closed erbium source shutter. We establish the existence of a critical areal density of the surface erbium layer, below which the formation of ErAs precipitates is suppressed. Based upon these findings, we demonstrate a method for overgrowing ErAs nanoparticles with III-V layers of high optical quality, using subsurface ErAs nanoparticles as a sink to deplete the surface erbium concentration. This approach provides a path toward realizing optical devices based on plasmonic effects in an epitaxially-compatible semimetal/semiconductor system.

• OSTI ID: 21518332
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 98, Issue 12; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3565168; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
DENSITY
ERBIUM
ERBIUM COMPOUNDS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GROWTH
IONS
LAYERS
MASS SPECTRA
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
NANOSTRUCTURES
PHOTOLUMINESCENCE
PRECIPITATION
SEGREGATION
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SEMIMETALS
SINKS
SURFACES
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CRYSTAL GROWTH METHODS
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
EPITAXY
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
LUMINESCENCE
MATERIALS
METALS
PHOTON EMISSION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PNICTIDES
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
RARE EARTHS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY