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Simulation of InAsSb/InGaAs Quantum Dots for Optical Device Applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Paul von Allmen
Affiliation:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, U.S.A.
Seungwon Lee
Affiliation:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, U.S.A.
Fabiano Oyafuso
Affiliation:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, U.S.A.
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Abstract

Self-assembled InAsSb/InGaAs quantum dots are candidates for optical detectors and emitters in the 2–5 micron band with a wide range of applications for atmospheric chemistry studies. It is known that while the energy band gap of unstrained bulk InAs1−xSbx is smallest for x=0.62, the biaxial strain for bulk InAs1−xSbx grown on In0.53Ga0.47As shifts the energy gap to higher energies and the smallest band gap is reached for x=0.51. The aim of the present study is to examine how the electronic confinement in the quantum dots modifies these simple considerations. We have calculated the electronic structure of lens shaped InAs1−xSbx quantum dots with diameter 37 nm and height 4 nm embedded in a In0.53Ga0.47As matrix of thickness 7 nm and lattice matched to an InP buffer. The relaxed atomic positions were determined by minimizing the elastic energy obtained from a valence force field description of the inter-atomic interaction. The electronic structure was calculated with an empirical tight binding approach. For Sb concentrations larger than x=0.5, it is found that the InSb/ In0.53Ga0.47As heterostructure becomes type II leading to no electron confined in the dot. It is also found that the energy gap decreases with increasing Sb content in contradiction with previous experimental results. A possible explanation is a significant variation is quantum dot size with Sb content.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

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References

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