Structural Origin of Enhanced Luminescence Efficiency of Antimony Irradiated InAs Quantum Dots

We report that Sb irradiation combined with the presence of a GaAs intermediate layer previous to the deposition of a GaSb layer over InAs quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy improves the crystalline quality of these nanostructures. Moreover, this approach to develop III–V-Sb nanostructures causes the formation of quantum dots buried by a confining GaSb layer and, in this way, achieving a type II band alignment. Both phenomena, studied by Conventional transmission electron microscopy (CTEM) and scanning-transmission electron microscope (STEM) techniques are keys to achieve the best room temperature photoluminescence results from InAs/GaAs (001) quantum dots. The Sb flux contributes to the preservation of the quantum dots size and at the same time reduces In diffusion from the wetting layer.