• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.298-298
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• 2014

Quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs) based on Stranski-Krastanov (SK) quantum dots (QDs) have been widely explored for improved device performance using various designs of heterostructures. However, one of the biggest limitations of this approach is the "pancake" shape of the dot, with a base of 20-30 nm and a height of 4-6 nm. This limits the 3D confinement in the quantum dot and reduces the ratio of normal incidence absorption to the off-axis absorption. One of the alternative growth modes to the formation of SK QDs is a sub-monolayer (SML) deposition technique, which can achieve a much higher density, smaller size, better uniformity, and has no wetting layer as compared to the SK growth mode. Due to the advantages of SML-QDs, the SML-QDIP design has attractive features such as increased normal incidence absorption, strong in-plane quantum confinement, and narrow spectral wavelength detection as compared with SK-DWELL. In this study, we report on the improved device performance of InAs/InGaAs SML-QDIP with different composition of $Al_xGa1-_xAs$ barrier. Two SML-QDIPs (x=0.07 for sample A and x=0.20 for sample B) are grown with the 4 stacks 0.3 ML InAs. It is investigated that sample A with a confinement-enhanced (CE) $Al_{0.22}Ga_{0.78}As$ barrier had a single peak at $7.8{\mu}m$ at 77 K. However, sample B with an $Al_{0.20}Ga_{0.80}As$ barrier had three peaks at (${\sim}3.5{\mu}m$, ${\sim}5{\mu}m$, ${\sim}7{\mu}m$) due to various quantum confined transitions. The measured peak responsivities (see Fig) are ~0.45 A/W (sample A, at $7.8{\mu}m$, $V_b=-0.4V$ bias) and ~1.3 A/W (sample B, at $7{\mu}m$, $V_b=-1.5V$ bias). At 77 K, sample A and B had a detectivity of $1.2{\times}10^{11}cm.Hz^{1/2}/W$ ($V_b=-0.4V$ bias) and $5.4{\times}10^{11}cm.Hz^{1/2}/W$ ($V_b=-1.5V$ bias), respectively. It is obvious that the higher $D^*$ of sample B (than sample A) is mainly due to the low dark current and high responsivity.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.131-131
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• 2010

The power of semiconductor laser diodes has been limited primarily by the heating effects which occur at high optical intensities. The actual limiting event can take one of a number of forms such as. catastrophic optical damage or filamentation. A general approach to this problem is to design a heterostructure which creates a high powered output while maintaining low internal optical intensities. A graded index separate confinement heterostructure (GRIN-SCH) is one such structure that accomplishes the above task. Here, the active region is sandwiched between graded index layers where the index of refraction increases nearer to the active layer. This structure has been shown to yield a high efficiency due to the confinement of both the optical power and carriers, thereby reducing the optical intensity required to achieve higher powers. The optical confinement also reinforces the optical beam quality against high power effects. Quantum dots have long been a desirable option for laser diodes due to the enhanced optical properties associated with the zeroth dimensionality. In our work, we use PICS3D software created by Crosslight Software Inc. to simulate the performance of In0.67A10.33As/A10.2Ga0.8AsquantumdotsusedwithaGRIN-SCH. The simulation tools are used to optimize the GRIN-SCH structure for high efficiency and optical beam quality.