Size Distribution and Its Scaling Behavior of InAlAs/AlGaAs Quantum Dots Grown on GaAs by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

TL;DR

This study investigates the size distribution and scaling behavior of self-assembled InAlAs/AlGaAs quantum dots grown on GaAs substrates via molecular beam epitaxy, revealing a new scaling function similar to InAs/GaAs QDs and identifying a tail characteristic of i=0.

Contribution

First demonstration of a scaling function for volume in ternary alloy quantum dots, showing similarities to InAs/GaAs QDs and revealing unique tail behavior.

Findings

Identified a scaling function of volume for ternary alloy QDs.

Found the scaling function similar to InAs/GaAs QDs.

Discovered a tail indicating a character of i=0 in the size distribution.

Abstract

We studied the size distribution and its scaling behavior of self-assembled InAlAs/AlGaAs quantum dots (QDs) grown on GaAs with the Stranski-Krastanov (SK) mode by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), at both 480{\deg}C and 510{\deg}C, as a function of InAlAs coverage. A scaling function of the volume was found for the first time in ternary alloy QDs. The function was similar to that of InAs/GaAs QDs, which agreed with the scaling function for the two-dimensional submonolayer homoepitaxy simulation with a critical island size of i = 1. However, a character of i = 0 was also found as a tail in the large volume.