Evolution of self-assembled InAs quantum ring formation

Abstract

The evolution of InAs quantum ring (QR) formation and the corresponding optical properties were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Just like a nanoscale volcanic eruption, the transformation from quantum dots (QDs) to QRs using the capping and annealing process depends on how much InAs is removed from the center of the dots to the surrounding areas. The final structure was found to depend on the annealing temperature and the cap layer thickness. We have investigated the QR formation at different stages using various growth conditions. The findings provided a clear picture on the mechanism of ring formation. We were able to obtain QRs with various geometries by controlling these growth parameters.