CuO nanostructure-decorated InGaN nanorods for selective H2S gas detection.

Establishing a heterostructure is one of the adequate strategies for enhancing device performance and has been explored in sensing, and energy applications. In this study, we constructed a heterostructure through a two-step process involving hydrothermal synthesis of CuO nanostructures and subsequent spin coating on MBE-grown InGaN NRs. We found that the CuO content on the InGaN NRs has a great impact on carrier injection at the heterojunction and thus the H2S gas sensing performance. Popcorn CuO/InGaN NR shows excellent gas sensing performance towards different concentrations of H2S at room temperature. The highest response is up to 35.54% to a H2S concentration of 100 ppm. Even more significantly, this response is further enhanced significantly (123.70%) under 365 nm UV light. In contrast, this composite structure exhibits negligibly low responses to 100 ppm of NO2, H2, CO, and NH3. The heterostructure band model associated with a surface reaction model is manifested to elucidate the sensing mechanism.

Integration of Ag Plasmonic Metal and WO3/InGaN Heterostructure for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting.

In this study, a Ag/WO3/InGaN hybrid heterostructure was successfully developed by sputtering and molecular beam epitaxy techniques, to obtain unique Ag nanospheres adorned with cauliflower-like WO3 nanostructure over the InGaN nanorods (NRs). Exploiting the localized surface plasmon resonance of Ag, the Ag/WO3/InGaN heterostructure exhibited superior photoabsorption ability in the visible region (400-700 nm) of the solar spectrum, with a surface plasmon resonance band centered around 440 nm. Comprehensive analysis through photoluminescence spectroscopy, photocurrent measurements, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that the Ag/WO3/InGaN hybrid heterostructure significantly enhances the charge carrier separation and transfer kinetics leading to improved overall photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. The photocurrent density of the Ag/WO3/InGaN photoanode is 1.17 mA/cm2, which is about 2.72 times higher than that of pure InGaN NRs under visible light irradiation. The photoanode exhibited excellent stability for about 12 h. From the study, it has been found that the maximum applied bias photon-to-current efficiency (ABPE) is ∼1.67% at the applied bias of 0.6 V. The improved PEC water splitting efficiency of the Ag/WO3/InGaN photoanode is attributed to the synergistic effects of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), efficient charge carrier separation and transport, and the presence of a Schottky junction. Consequently, the plasmonic metal-assisted heterojunction-based semiconductor Ag/WO3/InGaN demonstrates immense potential for practical applications in photoelectrochemical water splitting.

CdS/TiO2 nano hybrid heterostructured materials for superior hydrogen production and gas sensor applications.

In efforts to minimize environmental pollution and carbon-based gas emissions, photocatalytic hydrogen production and sensing applications at ambient temperature are important. This research reports on the development of new 0D/1D materials based on TiO2 nanoparticles grown onto CdS hetersturctured nanorods via two-stage facile synthesis. The titanate nanoparticles when loaded onto CdS surfaces at an optimized concentration (20 mM), exhibited superior photocatalytic hydrogen production (21.4 mmol/h/gcat). The optimized nanohybrid was recycled for 6 cycles up to 4 h, indicating its excellent stabity for a prolonged period. Also, the photoelectrochemical water oxidation in alkaline medium was investigated to offer the optimized CRT-2 composite with 1.91 mA/cm2@0.8 V vs. RHE (0 V vs. Ag/AgCl) that was used for effective room-temperature NO2 gas detection exhibiting a higher response (69.16%) to NO2 (100 ppm) at room temperature at the lowest detection limit of ∼118 ppb than the pristine counterparts. Further, NO2 gas sensing performance of CRT-2 sensor was increased using UV light (365 nm) activation energy. Under the UV light, the sensor exhibited a remarkable gas sensing response quick response/recovery times (68/74), excellent long-term cycling stability, and significant selectivity to NO2 gas. Due to high porosity and surface area values of CdS (5.3), TiO2 (35.5), and CRT-2 (71.5 m2/g), excellent photocatalytic H2 production and gas sensing of CRT-2 is ascribed to morphology, synergistic effect, improved charge generation, and separation. Overall, 1D/0D CdS@TiO2 is proved to be an efficient material for hydrogen production and gas detection.

Correction to "Surface Thermal Behavior and RT CO Gas Sensing Application of Oligoacenaphthylene with p-Hydroxyphenylacetic Acid Composite".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c03897.].

Optical, emission, and excitation dynamics of Eu3+ -doped bismuth-based phosphate glass for visible display laser applications.

Eu3+ -doped-bismuth-based phosphate glasses with chemical equation (60 - x)P2 O5 -20Bi2 O3 -10Na2 CO3 -10SrF2 -xEu2 O3 (PBNSEu), (where x = 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2 mol%) were fabricated using the melt-quenching method. Obtain X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDAX), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were used to characterize the structure of the prepared PBNSEu glass. The J-O (Judd-Ofelt) intensity parameters (Ω2 , Ω4 ) were estimated using photoluminescence emission spectra. When excited with a xenon lamp at λexc  = 394 nm, the most intense red-emission transition occurred at ~612 nm (5 D0 →7 F2 ). J-O intensity parameters were used to calculate radiative properties, whereas the radiative branching ratio (ßR ), radiative transition probability (AR ), radiative lifetime (τR ), and total radiative transition rate (Aτ ) were calculated for the transitions 5 D0 →7 FJ (where J = 0-4) and were obtained in the emission spectra for europium ion-doped in the current glass. Using the CIE1931 chromaticity coordinates axes, the colours of various concentrations of Eu3+ ion-doped PBNS glass were evaluated using the emission spectra. Temperature-dependent luminescence spectra were recorded for the optimized PBNSEu20 glass to calculate the activation energy. These results strongly suggested red components in w-LEDs and visible display laser applications.

Surface Thermal Behavior and RT CO Gas Sensing Application of an Oligoacenaphthylene with p-Hydroxyphenylacetic Acid Composite.

The current work describes room-temperature gas sensing performances using an oligoacenaphthylene (OAN)/p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (p-HPA) composite. Based on inverse gas chromatography (IGC), the London dispersive surface energy γs d is calculated by using 14 representative models. Even when the γs d values of both OAN and the OAN/p-HPA composite are decreased as the temperature increases, the surface of OAN shows a higher value than that of the composite. The Gibbs surface free energy values of both are decreased with an increasing temperature. In our results, higher Lewis basic characters are observed in OAN and the OAN/p-HPA composite and the OAN/p-HPA surface exhibits a higher basicity compared to OAN. Because of the presence of phenolic groups in the OAN/p-HPA composite, the more important basic character drives a significant CO gas sensing ability with a sensitivity of 8.96% and good cycling stability as compared to the pristine counterparts. It is expected that the current study sheds light on a new pathway to exploring polymer composite materials for futuristic diverse and multiple applications, including IGC and gas sensor applications.

High performance langasite based SAW NO2 gas sensor using 2D g-C3N4@TiO2 hybrid nanocomposite.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas has emerged as a severe air pollutant that causes damages to the environment, human life and global ecosystems etc. However, the currently available NO2 gas sensors suffers from insufficient selectivity, sensitivity and long response times that impeding their practical applicability for room temperature (RT) gas sensing. Herein, we report a high performance langasite (LGS) based surface acoustic wave (SAW) RT NO2 gas sensor using 2-dimensional (2D) g-C3N4@TiO2 nanoplates (NP) with {001} facets hybrid nanocomposite as a chemical interface. The g-C3N4@TiO2 NP/LGS SAW device showed a significant negative frequency shift (∆f) of ~19.8 kHz which is 2.4 fold higher than that of the pristine TiO2 NP/LGS SAW sensor toward 100 ppm of NO2 at RT. In addition, the hybrid SAW device fascinatingly exhibited a fast response/recovery time with a low detection limit, high selectivity, and an effective long term stability toward NO2 gas. It also exhibited an enhanced and robust negative frequency shifts under various relative humidity conditions ranging from 20% to 80% for 100 ppm of NO2 gas. The high performance of the g-C3N4 @TiO2 NP/LGS SAW gas sensor can be attributed to the enhanced mass loading effect which was assisted by the large surface area, oxygen vacancies, OH and amine functional groups of the n-n hybrid heterojunction of g-C3N4@TiO2 NP that provide abundant active sites for the adsorption and diffusion of NO2 gas molecules. These results emphasize the significance of the integration of 2D materials with metal oxides for SAW based RT gas sensing technology holds great promise in environmental protection.

Proliferation of the Light and Gas Interaction with GaN Nanorods Grown on a V-Grooved Si(111) Substrate for UV Photodetector and NO2 Gas Sensor Applications.

Although excellent milestones of III-nitrides in optoelectronic devices have been achieved, the focus on the optimization of their geometrical structure for multiple applications is very rare. To address this issue, we exclusively designed a prototype device to enhance the photoconversion efficiency and gas interaction capabilities of GaN nanorods (NRs) grown on a V-grooved Si(100) substrate with Si(111) facets for photodetector and gas sensor applications. Photoluminescence studies have demonstrated an increased surface-to-volume ratio and light trapping for GaN NRs grown on V-grooved Si(111). GaN NRs on V-grooved Si(100) with Si(111) facets exhibited high photodetection performance in terms of photoresponsivity (217 mA/cm2), detectivity (3 × 1013 Jones), and external quantum efficiency (2.73 × 105%) compared to GaN NRs grown on plain Si(111). Owing to the robust interconnection between NRs and a high surface-to-volume ratio, the GaN NRs grown on V-grooved Si(100) with Si(111) facets probed for NO2 detection with the assistance of photonic energy. The photo-assisted sensing makes it possible to detect NO2 gas at the ppb level at room temperature, resulting in significant power reduction. The device showed high selectivity to NO2 against other target gases, such as NO, H2S, H2, NH3, and CO. The device showed excellent long-term stability at room temperature; the humidity effect on the device performance was also examined. The excellent device performance was due to the following: (i) benefited from the V-grooved Si structure, GaN NRs significantly trapped the incident light, which promoted high photocurrent conversion efficiency and (ii) GaN NRs grown on V-grooved Si(100) with Si(111) facets increased the surface-to-volume ratio and thus improved the gas interaction with a better diffusion ratio and high light trapping, which resulted in increased response/recovery times. These results represent an important forward step in prototype devices for multiple applications in materials research.

Ag Nanowire-Plasmonic-Assisted Charge Separation in Hybrid Heterojunctions of Ppy-PEDOT:PSS/GaN Nanorods for Enhanced UV Photodetection.

The surface states, poor carrier life, and other native defects in GaN nanorods (NRs) limit their utilization in high-speed and large-gain ultraviolet (UV) photodetection applications. Making a hybrid structure is one of the finest strategies to overcome such impediments. In this work, a polypyrrole (Ppy)-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)/GaN NRs hybrid structure is introduced for self-powered UV photodetection applications. This hybrid structure yields high photodetection performance, while pristine GaN NRs showed negligible photodetection properties. The ability of the photodetector is further boosted by functionalizing the hybrid structure with Ag nanowires (NWs). The Ag NWs-functionalized hybrid structure exhibited a responsivity of 3.1 × 103 (A/W), detectivity of 3.19 × 1014 Jones, and external quantum efficiency of 1.06 × 106 (%) under a UV illumination of λ = 382 nm. This high photoresponse is due to the huge photon absorption rising from the localized surface plasmonic effect of a Ag NWs network. Also, the Ag NWs significantly improved the rising and falling times, which were noted to be 0.20 and 0.21 s, respectively. The model band diagram was proposed with the assistance of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to explore the origin of the superior performance of the Ag NWs-decorated Ppy-PEDOT:PSS/GaN NRs photodetector. The proposed hybrid structure seems to be a promising candidate for the development of high-performance UV photodetectors.

Hydrogen passivation: a proficient strategy to enhance the optical and photoelectrochemical performance of InGaN/GaN single-quantum-well nanorods.

Recently, III-nitride semiconductor nanostructures, especially InGaN/GaN quantum well nanorods (NRs), have been established as a promising material of choice for nanoscale optoelectronics and photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting applications. Due to the large number of surface states, III-nitride NRs suffer from low quantum efficiency. Therefore, control of the surface states is necessary to improve device performance in real-time applications. In this work, we investigated the effect of hydrogen plasma treatment on the optical properties of InGaN/GaN single-quantum-well (SQW) NRs. The low-temperature photoluminescence (PL) studies revealed that yellow and green emissions overlapped and the yellow band is more dominant in the pristine InGaN/GaN SQW NRs. However, the emission corresponding to yellow luminescence was strongly suppressed and the green emission is more intensified in hydrogenated InGaN/GaN SQW NRs. Furthermore, the time-resolved PL spectroscopy studies revealed that the carrier lifetimes of hydrogenated InGaN/GaN SQW NRs are relatively short compared to the pristine InGaN/GaN SQW, indicating the effective reduction of non-radiative centers. From the PEC measurement, the photocurrent density of hydrogenated InGaN/GaN SQW NRs in the H2SO4 solution is found to be 5 mA cm-2 at -0.48 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, which is 3.5-fold larger than that of pristine ones. These findings shed new light on the significance of surface treatment on the optical properties and thus nanostructured photoelectrodes for PEC applications.

Hydrogenation-produced In2O3/InN core-shell nanorod and its effect on NO2 gas sensing behavior.

In this work, for the first time, we have made InN/In2O3 core-shell heterostructure by hydrogen plasma treatment. InN nanorods (NRs) were grown by using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy, and hydrogen plasma treatment was performed by using reactive ion etching at room temperature. From x-ray photoemission spectroscopy studies, it was observed that the bonding partner of In changes from N to O and N 1s completely disappeared in the hydrogenated InN NRs. Furthermore, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed the formation of InN/In2O3 core-shell NRs by hydrogenation plasma treatment. The resistance of pristine InN NRs was decreased in NO2 ambient. Interestingly, the resistance of the InN/In2O3 core-shell was increased while introducing NO2 gas. InN NR surface exhibits downward band bending due to the electron accumulation, in NO2 ambient, and the surface band bending was decreased due to the increase in the bulk conduction channel. This reversed gas sensing behavior in InN/In2O3 core-shell NRs was attributed to the increase in depletion layer while reducing the conduction channel width by the absorption of NO2. The InN/In2O3 coreshell NRs exhibited a response of 22.43% at 50 °C, which was 5.11 times higher than that of pristine InN NRs.

Enhancing the Charge Carrier Separation and Transport via Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Quantum Dot-TiO2 Nanoplate Hybrid Structure for an Efficient NO Gas Sensor.

Herein, we demonstrate the ultraviolet (UV) light activated high-performance room-temperature NO gas sensor based on nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (NGQDs)-decorated TiO2 hybrid structure. TiO2 employed in the form of {001} facets exposed rectangular nanoplate morphology, which is highly reactive for the adsorption of active oxygen species. NGQD layers are grown on TiO2 nanoplates by graphitization of precursors via hydrothermal treatment. The decoration of NGQDs on the TiO2 surface dramatically enhanced the efficiency of gas and carriers exchange, charge carrier separation and transportation, and oxygen vacancies, which eventually improved the sensing performance. At room temperature, the TiO2@NGQDs hybrid structure exhibited a response of 12.0% to 100 ppm NO, which is 4.8 times higher compared to that of pristine TiO2 nanoplates. The response of TiO2@NGQDs hybrid structure is further upgraded by employing the ultraviolet light illumination and manipulating the operating temperature. Under the UV (λ = 365 nm) illumination at room temperature, the hybrid structure response escalated to ∼31.1% for 100 ppm NO. On the other hand, the tailoring of working temperature yielded a response of ∼223% at an optimum operating temperature of 250 °C. The NO gas-sensing mechanism of TiO2@NGQDs nanoplate's hybrid structure sensors under UV illumination and different working temperatures is discussed.

A novel low-temperature resistive NO gas sensor based on InGaN/GaN multi-quantum well-embedded p-i-n GaN nanorods.

In gas sensors, metal oxide semiconductors have been considered as favorable resistive-type toxic gas sensing materials. However, the higher temperature operation of metal oxides becomes a barrier for their wide range of applications in explosive and flammable gas environments. In this regard, great efforts have been devoted to reducing the operating temperature of the sensor. We demonstrated a chemical resistor-type NO gas sensor based on p-i-n GaN nanorods (NRs) consisting of InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells (MQW). The sensor exhibited superior NO gas sensing performance to p-type GaN NRs. Furthermore, it also showed a remarkably improved response and fast recovery under UV irradiation (λ = 367 nm) of different UV intensities (7 to 20 mw cm-2) under reverse bias. The sensing performance of MQW-embedded p-i-n GaN NRs was enhanced with the boosted response by 4-fold at 35 °C under UV irradiation. The significant decrease in the resistance of the sensor under UV irradiation was mainly due to the extraction of photo-generated carriers under reverse bias, which can enhance the ionization of oxygen molecules. In addition, the effect of relative humidity (30%-60%) on the gas sensing performance was also manifested in this study. The selectivity of the sensor was determined by using other gases (NO, NO2, O2, NH3, H2S, CO, and H2), which exhibited a low response towards all tested gases other than NO. The experimental results demonstrated that p-i-n GaN NRs with InGaN/GaN MQW is a promising material for the detection of NO gas. Specific emphasis was laid on the enhanced response of p-i-n GaN NRs in reverse bias under UV irradiation.

DNA nanostructures doped with lanthanide ions for highly sensitive UV photodetectors.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and lanthanide ions (Ln3+) exhibit exceptional optical properties that are applicable to the development of nanoscale devices and sensors. Although DNA nanostructures and Ln3+ ions have been investigated for use in the current state of technology for more than a few decades, researchers have yet to develop DNA and Ln3+ based ultra-violet (UV) photodetectors. Here, we fabricate Ln3+ (such as holmium (Ho3+), praseodymium (Pr3+), and ytterbium (Yb3+))‒doped double crossover (DX)‒DNA lattices through substrate-assisted growth and salmon DNA (SDNA) thin films via a simple drop-casting method on oxygen (O2) plasma-treated substrates for high performance UV photodetectors. Topological (AFM), optical (UV-vis absorption and FTIR), spectroscopic (XPS), and electrical (I‒V and photovoltage) measurements of the DX‒DNA and SDNA thin films doped with various concentrations of Ln3+ ([Ln3+]) are explored. From the AFM analysis, the optimum concentrations of various Ln3+ ([Ln3+]O) are estimated (where the phase transition of Ln3+‒doped DX‒DNA lattices takes place from crystalline to amorphous) as 1.2 mM for Ho3+, 1.5 mM for Pr3+, and 1.5 mM for Yb3+. The binding modes and chemical states are evaluated through optical and spectroscopic analysis. From UV-vis absorption studies, we found that as the [Ln3+] was increased, the absorption intensity decreased up to [Ln3+]O, and increased above [Ln3+]O. The variation in FTIR peak intensities in the nucleobase and phosphate regions, and the changes in XPS peak intensities and peak positions detected in the N 1 s and P 2p core spectra of Ln3+‒doped SDNA thin films clearly indicate that the Ln3+ ions are properly bound between the bases (through chemical intercalation) and to the phosphate backbone (through electrostatic interactions) of the DNA molecules. Finally, the I‒V characteristics and time-dependent photovoltage of Ln3+‒doped SDNA thin films are measured both in the dark and under UV LED illuminations (λLED = 382 nm) at various illumination powers. The photocurrent and photovoltage of Ln3+‒doped SDNA thin films are enhanced up to the [Ln3+]O compared to pristine SDNA due to the charge carriers generated from both SDNA and Ln3+ ions upon the absorption of light. From our observations, the photovoltages as function of illumination power suggest higher responsivities, and the photovoltages as function of time are almost constant which indicates the stability and retention characteristics of the Ln3+‒doped SDNA thin films. Hence, our method which provides an efficient doping of Ln3+ into the SDNA with a simple fabrication process might be useful in the development of high-performance optoelectronic devices and sensors.

High performance UV photodetectors using Nd3+ and Er3+ single- and co-doped DNA thin films.

Even though lanthanide ion (Ln3+)-doped DNA nanostructures have been utilized in various applications, they are rarely employed for photovoltage generating devices because of difficulties in designing DNA-based devices that generate voltages under light illumination. Here, we constructed DNA lattices made of synthetic strands and DNA thin films extracted from salmon (SDNA) with single-doping of Nd3+ or Er3+ and co-doping of Nd3+/Er3+ for high performance UV detection. The topological change of the DNA double-crossover (DX) lattices during the course of annealing was estimated from atomic force microscope (AFM) images to find the optimum concentration of Ln3+ ([Ln3+]O). No topological disturbance in DNA DX lattices were observed up to [Ln3+]O, and significant enhancement in the physical properties was obtained at [Ln3+]O. The interactions between Ln3+ and SDNA were examined using spectroscopic methods of UV-visible, Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Current and photovoltage measurements for Ln3+-doped SDNA thin films under UV illumination with varying power intensities were conducted. Under UV illumination, the photocurrent and photovoltage of Ln3+-doped SDNA thin films increased with increasing applied external voltages and input power intensities, respectively. In addition, we observed considerable increases in photovoltage responses, i.e., 5-fold increase for Nd3+, 10-fold for Er3+, and 13-fold for Nd3+/ Er3+, compared to the pristine SDNA due to the additional charge carriers generated in Ln3+-doped SDNA thin films. Device performance was measured in terms of photovoltage responsivity and retention characteristics. These phenomena indicate the high stability and substantial endurance characteristics of Ln3+-doped SDNA thin films.

A study of the red-shift of a neutral donor bound exciton in GaN nanorods by hydrogenation.

In this paper we account for the physics behind the exciton peak shift in GaN nanorods (NRs) due to hydrogenation. GaN NRs were selectively grown on a patterned Ti/Si(111) substrate using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy, and the effect of hydrogenation on their optical properties was investigated in detail using low-temperature photoluminescence measurements. Due to hydrogenation, the emissions corresponding to the donor-acceptor pair and yellow luminescence in GaN NRs were strongly suppressed, while the emission corresponding to the neutral to donor bound exciton (D0X) exhibited red-shift. Thermal annealing of hydrogenated GaN NRs demonstrated the recovery of the D0X and deep level emission. To determine the nature of the D0X peak shift due to hydrogenation, comparative studies were carried out on various diameters of GaN NRs, which can be controlled by different growth conditions and wet-etching times. Our experimental results reveal that the D0X shift depends on the diameter of the GaN NRs after hydrogenation. The results clearly demonstrate that the hydrogenation leads to band bending of GaN NRs as compensated by hydrogen ions, which causes a red-shift in the D0X emission.

Hydrogen Generation using non-polar coaxial InGaN/GaN Multiple Quantum Well Structure Formed on Hollow n-GaN Nanowires.

This article demonstrates for the first time to the best of our knowledge, the merits of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) grown on hollow n-GaN nanowires (NWs) as a plausible alternative for stable photoelectrochemical water splitting and efficient hydrogen generation. These hollow nanowires are achieved by a growth method rather not by conventional etching process. Therefore this approach becomes simplistic yet most effective. We believe relatively low Ga flux during the selective area growth (SAG) aids the hollow nanowire to grow. To compare the optoelectronic properties, simultaneously solid nanowires are also studied. In this present communication, we exhibit that lower thermal conductivity of hollow n-GaN NWs affects the material quality of InGaN/GaN MQWs by limiting In diffusion. As a result of this improvement in material quality and structural properties, photocurrent and photosensitivity are enhanced compared to the structures grown on solid n-GaN NWs. An incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) of around ~33.3% is recorded at 365 nm wavelength for hollow NWs. We believe that multiple reflections of incident light inside the hollow n-GaN NWs assists in producing a larger amount of electron hole pairs in the active region. As a result the rate of hydrogen generation is also increased.

The growth of a low defect InAs HEMT structure on Si by using an AlGaSb buffer layer containing InSb quantum dots for dislocation termination.

It is found that the surface migration and nucleation behaviors of InSb quantum dots on AlSb/Si substrates, formed by molecular beam epitaxy in Stranski-Krastanov (SK) growth mode, are dependent on the substrate temperature. At relatively high temperatures above 430 degrees C, quantum dots are migrated and preferentially assembled onto the surface steps of high defect AlSb layers grown on Si substrates, while they are uniformly distributed on the surface at lower temperatures below 400 degrees C. It is also found that quantum dots located on the defect sites lead to effective termination of the propagation of micro-twin-induced structural defects into overlying layers, resulting in the low defect material grown on a largely mismatched substrate. The resulting 1.0 microm thick Al(x)Ga(1-x)Sb (x = 0.8) layer grown on the silicon substrate shows atomically flat (0.2 nm AFM mean roughness) surface and high crystal quality, represented by a narrow full width at half-maximum of 300 arc s in the x-ray rocking curve. The room-temperature electron mobility of higher than 16 000 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) in InAs/AlGaSb FETs on the Si substrate is obtained with a relatively thin buffer layer, when a low defect density ( approximately 10(6) cm(-2)) AlGaSb buffer layer is obtained by the proposed method.