RESUMEN
The addition of elevated temperature steps (annealing) during the growth of InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) structures on Si substrates results in significant improvements in their structural and optical properties and laser device performance. This is shown to result from an increased efficacy of the dislocation filter layers (DFLs); reducing the density of dislocations that arise at the Si/III-V interface which reach the active region. The addition of two annealing steps gives a greater than three reduction in the room temperature threshold current of a 1.3 µm emitting QD laser on Si. The active region of structures grown on Si have a room temperature residual tensile strain of 0.17%, consistent with cool down from the growth temperature and the different Si and GaAs thermal expansion coefficients. This strain limits the amount of III-V material that can be grown before relaxation occurs.
RESUMEN
We report on InAsP quantum dot lasers grown by MOVPE for 730-780 nm wavelength emission and compare performance with InP dot samples grown under similar conditions and with similar structures. 1-4 mm long, uncoated facet InAsP dot lasers emit between 760 and 775 nm and 2 mm long lasers with uncoated facets have threshold current density of 260 Acm(-2), compared with 150 Acm(-2) for InP quantum dot samples, which emit at shorter wavelengths, 715-725 nm. Pulsed lasing is demonstrated for InAsP dots up to 380 K with up to 200 mW output power. Measured absorption spectra indicate the addition of Arsenic to the dots has shifted the available transitions to longer wavelengths but also results in a much larger degree of spectral broadening. These spectra and transmission electron microscopy images indicate that the InAsP dots have a much larger degree of inhomogeneous broadening due to dot size variation, both from layer to layer and within a layer.