| AVS 64th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Electronic Materials and Photonics Division | Thursday Sessions |
| Session EM+MI+NS+SP+SS-ThM |
| Session: | Photonics, Optoelectronics, and Light Manipulation |
| Presenter: | Brian Rummel, University of New Mexico |
| Authors: | B. Rummel, University of New Mexico M. Rimada, University of New Mexico S. Addamane, University of New Mexico G. Balakrishnan, University of New Mexico T. Sinno, University of Pennsylvania S.M. Han, University of New Mexico |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
We have previously demonstrated that a patterned elastic stress field can be used to change the near-surface atomic composition in epitaxial compound semiconductor films.1 This compositional patterning laterally manipulates quantum barriers within the film in a press-and-print manner, completely eliminating the need for Stranski-Krastanov growth. For the proof-of-concept, the said mechanism was used to diffuse Ge in a SiGe substrate to form regions of Ge-depleted, pure Si surrounded by SiGe. This result opened the door to thermo-mechanically triggered, rewritable circuitry for a wide variety of applications. For the current effort on InGaAs quantum well systems, an array of Si pillars is pressed against a GaAs/In.20Ga.80As/GaAs substrate in a mechanical press, and the assembly is heated to elevated temperatures. The applied elastic stress field promotes the diffusion of larger In atoms away from the compressed regions, leaving In-depleted GaAs in localized regions of the quantum well. Careful assembly and design of the Si nanopillar array would controllably define GaAs and InGaAs regions, producing laterally organized quantum structures. Photoluminescence spectroscopy is used to confirm the diffusion of In and compositional variation, based on the wavelength shift of the emission line from the InGaAs quantum well. In this presentation, we will further discuss how micro-photoluminescence imaging can be used to directly image regions of In-enriched regions as well as In-depleted regions found under the elastically compressed areas. This method may allow us to register the compositionally altered regions for addressable circuitry.
1 S. Ghosh, D. Kaiser, J. Bonilla, T. Sinno, and S. M. Han, "Stress-Directed Compositional Patterning of SiGe Substrates for Lateral Quantum Barrier Manipulation," Appl. Phys. Lett.107, 072106-1:5 (2015).