Colloquium 2007-11-01

 

3:30 p.m. in Room 307 of the Optical Sciences Meinel Building

Speaker:

Diana Huffaker

University of California Los Angeles

Title:

Patterned inAs Quantum Dot and Nanopillars Formation and Characterization

 

Host:

Jerome Moloney

 

Abstract:

We overview our work in controlled patterned nanostructure formation and dependence MOCVD growth parameters. Our patterned quantum dot (PQDs) are formed atop the (001) apex of a GaAs pyramidal buffer to achieve sufficiently small growth platform for quantized carrier confinement and to separate the recombination region from the processed interface. The GaAs pyramids are characterized by well-defined equilibrium crystal shapes (ECS) defined by three crystal plane families including {11n}, {10n} and (001).  Subsequent patterned QD (PQD) nucleation on the GaAs pyramidal facets is highly preferential towards the (11n) planes due to superior energy minimization and the shape of the QDs on the (11n) planes is also highly predictable and uniform.  The GaAs pyramid formation strongly correlates to the pyramidal shape and to the subsequent PQD PL characteristics.  The wavelength of the patterned In(Ga)As QDs can be controlled and ranges from 950 nm to as long as 1.6 μm.  Several aspects to be discussed are the effects of crystallographic structure measured using photoluminescence and SEM.  By controlling crystal faceting, we are able to form coupled quantum clusters along with truly isolated QDs. This initial work correlates the basic PQD characteristics to the GaAs pyramidal buffer formation.  Our ongoing studies include time resolved photoluminescence and photo-excitation luminescence studies to further elucidate band-structure. Planarization and overgrowth for room temperature light emitting diodes will also be described.

Bio:

Professor Diana Huffaker received her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin with dissertation studies focused on vertical cavity microlasers and other quantum dot devices.

 

Prior to joining the University of California at Los Angeles, she was Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Univeresity of New Mexico at the Center for High Technology Materials.  She has also served as Senior Research Scientist at Picolight Incorporated in Boulder, CO. Her research interests include directed and self-assembled nanostructure solid-state epitaxy, optoelectronic devices for energy and biosensing applications with special emphasis in III-V/Si photonics.  Professor Huffaker has co-authored over 120 refereed journal publications, 2 awarded patents with 8 disclosures pending, 2 book chapters and has reported her work through many invited presentations.  She has been awarded the 2002 Compound Semiconductor International Symposium Young Scientist Award for developments in novel quantum dot and selectively oxidized optoelectronic materials and devices including the first oxide-confined VCSEL and the first 1.3 mm self-organized quantum dot laser.  She recently received the 2004 Alexander von Humboldt research fellowship to study (In)GaN quantum dot light emitters at Technical University Berlin.  She is an active participant in the technical community with appointments in IEEE/LEOS, SPIE, WISE, MRS, OSA and TMS.  She is an elected member of the IEEE/LEOS Board of Governors and IEEE WIE Region 6 chairman.