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

Abstract

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.

Authors:
; ;  [1]
  1. University of Texas at Austin, Microelectronics Research Center, 10100 Burnet Rd. Bldg. 160, Austin, Texas 78758 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21518332
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Applied Physics Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 98; Journal Issue: 12; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3565168; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
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

Citation Formats

Crook, Adam M, Nair, Hari P, and Bank, Seth R. Surface segregation effects of erbium in GaAs growth and their implications for optical devices containing ErAs nanostructures. United States: N. p., 2011. Web. doi:10.1063/1.3565168.
Crook, Adam M, Nair, Hari P, & Bank, Seth R. Surface segregation effects of erbium in GaAs growth and their implications for optical devices containing ErAs nanostructures. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3565168
Crook, Adam M, Nair, Hari P, and Bank, Seth R. 2011. "Surface segregation effects of erbium in GaAs growth and their implications for optical devices containing ErAs nanostructures". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3565168.
@article{osti_21518332,
title = {Surface segregation effects of erbium in GaAs growth and their implications for optical devices containing ErAs nanostructures},
author = {Crook, Adam M and Nair, Hari P and Bank, Seth R},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {10.1063/1.3565168},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21518332}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters},
issn = {0003-6951},
number = 12,
volume = 98,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 21 00:00:00 EDT 2011},
month = {Mon Mar 21 00:00:00 EDT 2011}
}