InGaAs nano-pillar array formation on partially masked InP(111)B by selective area metal–organic vapour phase epitaxial growth for two-dimensional photonic crystal application

Abstract

We report on the selective area metal–organic vapour phase epitaxial growth of an InGaAs nano-pillar array on a partially masked InP(111)B substrate. This technique is very promising as a way to form semiconductor two-dimensional photonic crystals (2DPCs) suitable for infrared optical fibre communication. We successfully formed uniform hexagonal 2DPCs having vertical (110) facet sidewalls on 400 nm-pitch masked substrates. We observed vertical growth enhancement as well as the lateral overgrowth suppression for high aspect ratio InGaAs nano-pillar array formation under high growth-rate, long growth-time, and narrow window-opening conditions. We verified infrared emission from the InGaAs nano-pillar array by low-temperature photoluminescence measurement.