InAs/GaSb superlattices are a material system well suited to growth via molecular beam epitaxy. The ability to tune the band gap over the entire mid and long wave infrared spectrum gives a large number of applications for devices made from InAs/GaSb superlattice material. The growth of high quality InAs/GaSb superlattice material requires a careful study of the parameters used during epitaxial growth. This work investigates the growth of tunnel junctions for InAs/GaSb based superlattice light emitting diodes, the presence of defects in GaSb homoepitaxial layers, and variations in the growth rate of InAs/GaSb superlattice samples. Tunnel junctions in cascaded structures must provide adequate barriers to prevent carriers from leaking from one emission region to the next without first recombining radiatively, while at the same time remain low in tunneling resistance for current recycling. A variety of tunnel junction designs are compared in otherwise identical four stage InAs/GaSb superlattice light emitting diodes, which past studies have found hole confinement to be problematic. GaSb was used on the p-side of the junction, while various materials were used on the n-side. Al0.20In0.80As0.73Sb0.27 tunnel junctions function best due to the combination of favorable band alignment and ease of growth. Pyramidal defects have been observed in layers of GaSb grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaSb substrates. These defects are typically 3-8 nanometers high, 1-3 microns in diameter, and shaped like pyramids. Their occurrence in the growth of GaSb buffer layers can propagate into subsequent layers. Defects are nucleated during the early stages of growth after the thermal desorption of native oxide from the GaSb substrate. These defects grow into pyramids due to a repulsive Ehrlich-Schwoebel potential on atomic step edges leading to an upward adatom current. The defects reduce in density with growth of GaSb. The insertion of a thin AlAsSb layer into the early stages of the GaSb buffer increases the rate of elimination of the defects, resulting in a smooth surface within 500nm. The acceleration of defect reduction is due to the temporary interruption of step-flow growth induced by the AlAsSb layer. This leads to a reduced isolation of the pyramids from the GaSb epitaxial layer, and allows the pyramidal defects to smooth out. Investigations into varying the superlattice growth rate have not been reported widely in the literature. Due to the frequent use of soaks, growth interrupts, and other interface structuring steps the superlattice growth rate and the interface layer sequence are linked. In order to properly study the effects of growth rate variations and interface design changes it is necessary to account for the effect on growth rate due to the interfaces. To this end it is useful to think of the effective growth rate of the superlattice, which is the total layer thickness divided by the total time, per superlattice period. Varying the effective growth rate of superlattice photoluminescence samples shows a peak in output at ˜ 0.5 monolayers per second. Investigations into the structural properties of the superlattices show no decrease in structural uniformity for effective growth rates up to ˜ 1.4 monolayers per second.

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Pontos quânticos naturais ou auto-organizados de InAs e In0.5Ga0.5As foram produzidos sobre substratos de GaAs com diferentes orientações cristalográficas, utilizando-se a técnica de Epitaxia por Feixes Moleculares. Tais pontos foram caracterizados in situ através da Difração de Elétrons de Alta Energia por Reflexão (RHEED). As características do padrão do RHEED permitiram a determinação da espessura crítica para a qual ocorre a transição do modo de crescimento em duas dimensões para o de três dimensões, assim como também os planos perto dos quais, as faces das ilhas se encontram. A verificação dos resultados do RHEED foi feita utilizando Microscopia por Força Atômica. Esta técnica permitiu também determinar tanto a forma, densidade, altura e base das ilhas, como a morfologia da superfície onde os pontos não foram formados. Estudos ópticos das ilhas foram realizados, utilizando a técnica de Fotoluminescência (FL). Os resultados permitiram observar uma grande dependência dos espectros de FL com a orientação do substrato. Tal dependência é constatada na intensidade, forma e posição energética do pico de FL. A existência de um confinamento lateral adicional nestes pontos foi observada na dependência da intensidade do pico de FL com a temperatura. Medidas de polarização mostraram uma grande anisotropia estrutural para os pontos quânticos no plano, em concordância com os resultados do RHEED. / Self-assembled or self-organized quantum dots (QDs) of InAs and In0.5Ga0.5As were produced on different crystallographic oriented GaAs substrates using Molecular Beam Epitaxy. During the growth process the dots were characterized in situ by means of Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED). The features of RHEED pattern allowed the determination of the critical thickness, for which the transition 2D-3D occur, as well as the crystallographic planes of island facets. Confirmation of the RHEED observations was done using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). This technique allowed also determining the form and dimensions of each QD as well as the density of islands. Optical study of quantum dots was carried out by Photoluminescence (PL). Such characterization allowed us to observe a high dependence of PL peak intensity, peak form and peak position, and an additional lateral confiment at quantum dots was verified in the temperature dependence of PL peak intensity. Polarization measurements presented a strong anisotropy h-plane for self-assembled quantum dots, in agreement with RHEED observations.

Este trabalho apresenta o resultado de investigações sobre efeitos de spin em amostras de poços quânticos simples e duplos de AlGaAs, crescidos em substratos de GaAs por MBE - Molecular Beam Epitaxy. O estudo se concentra na variação do fator g de Landé ao longo da estrutura dos poços, a qual ocorre em virtude da dependência dessa grandeza, com respeito ao conteúdo de Al na liga AlGaAs. Através de cálculos autoconsistentes foram encontradas a distribuição eletrônica nos poços e a penetração da densidade eletrônica nas barreiras. Os cálculos se basearam em valores de densidade superficial de elétrons ns medidos experimentalmente em diversas amostras através de medidas de Hall e Shubnikov-de Haas. O estudo permitiu a determinação do valor esperado do fator g de Landé, em função do deslocamento da densidade eletrônica dentro dos poços devido `a ação de campos elétricos externos arbitrário. Também foi estudada a influência do tunelamento da densidade eletrônica dos poços. / In this work we presents the results of our investigations concerning MBE grown AlGaAs/GaAs single and double quantum well samples. We focused on the variation of the Land´e g factor along the structure of the quantum wells, which occur as a consquence of its dependence on the Al content on the alloy AlGaAs. The electronic distribution on the wells and the penetration of the eletronic density into the barriers of the samples were found through selfconsistent calculations. The calculations were based on the eletronic sheet density ns measured through Hall and Shubinikov-de Haas efects. This research allowed the determination of the expected value of the Landé g-factor, as a function of the displacement of the electronic state inside the wells due to an arbitrary external electric field action. Also the influence of the tunneling effects was also studied.

Neste trabalho a epitaxia por feixes moleculares (Molecular Beam Epitaxy: MBE) foi utilizada para crescer estruturas de gases bidimensionais a base de In0.53Ga0.47As/ In0.52Al0.48As sobre substrato de fosfeto de índio (InP) e analisar suas propriedades estruturais. elétricas e óticas através de técnicas de caracterização, tais como efeito Hall, fotoluminescência (FL). Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). A calibração dos parâmetros de crescimento tais como a taxa de crescimento e a composição das ligas In0.53Ga0.47As/ In0.52Al0.48As foi feita através da observação das oscilações da da difração de elétrons de alta energia observado em reflexão (Reflection High-Energy Electron Difraction : RHEED) A densidade de dopante tipo n (em nosso caso. 0 silício) foi determinada posteriormente através de medidas de efeito Hall usando a técnica de Van der Pauw. Os resultados da Fotoluminescência mostram uma transição doador-banda com largura a meia altura (Full Width at Half Maximum : FWHM) de aproximadamente 23 meV, para a liga de In0.52Al0.48As. A formação de gás bidimensional nestas mesmas amostras tem sido observado indiretamente pela ocorrência de oscilações SdH. / In this work Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) was used to growth bidimensional gas structures based on In0.53Ga0.47As/ In0.52Al0.48As on Indium Phosfate substrate (lnP) Structural. electrical and optical properties were analyzed by characterisation techniques such as Hall eflect, photoluminescence (PL), Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Growth parameter calibration such as growth rate and alloy composition of In0.53Ga0.47As/ In0.52Al0.48As was determined through observation of Reflexion High-Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED) oscillation. Density of type dopant (in our case silicon Si) was obtained by. Hall effect measurements using Van der Pauw geometry Photoluminescence results show donor to band transition with Full Width at Half Maxima (FHWM) of approximatly 23meV, for the In0.52Al0.48As alloy. Bidimensional gas formation was indirectly observed in these samples through SdH oscillations.

Usant de certaines conditions, la croissance épitaxiale de GaN sur un large panel de substrats donne lieu à une assemblée de nanofils. Cette géométrie filaire peut permettre la croissance d'hétérostructures libres de tous défauts cristallins étendus, ce qui les rendent attractives pour créer des dispositifs de hautes performances. En premier lieu, mon travail de thèse a visé à clarifier le mécanisme de nucléation auto-organisé des nanofils de GaN sur substrat de silicium. Dans ce but, une étude approfondie de la couche tampon d'AlN, déposée préalablement à la nucléation des nanofils, a été réalisée, mettant en évidence une inattendue forte réactivité de l'Al avec le substrat. La nécessité de la polarité azote pour la croissance des nanofils de GaN a été mise en lumière, bien que des nanofils contenant dans leur cœur un domaine de polarité Ga ont également été observés. Dans ces nanofils, une paroi d'inversion de domaine est présente et a été démontrée être optiquement active, exhibant une photoluminescence à 3.45 eV. Ensuite des hétérostuctures filaires GaN/AlN ont été synthétisée pour des caractérisations structurales et optiques. Il a été montré que le mode de croissance de l'hétérostructure peut être changé en fonction du diamètre du nanofil. En dernier lieu, en prenant avantage de la géométrie cylindrique des nanofils, des mesures de diffusion de porteurs de charge ont été réalisées dans des nanofils de GaN et d'AlN. / Using specific conditions, GaN can be epitaxially grown on a large variety of substrates as a nanowire (NW) array. This geometry allows the subsequent growth of wire-like heterostructures likely free of extended defects, which makes them promising for increasing device controllability and performance. First, my PhD work has been devoted to the understanding of self-organized nucleation of GaN NWs on silicon substrates. For this purpose, a deep characterization of the growth mechanism of the AlN buffer deposited prior to NW nucleation has been done, emphasizing an unexpected large reactivity of Al with the substrate. The requirement of the N polarity to nucleate GaN NWs has been evidenced, although the possible existence of NWs hosting a Ga polar core has been observed as well. In these NWs, an inversion domain boundary is present and has been demonstrated to be optically active, having a photoluminescence signature at 3.45 eV. Next, GaN/AlN wire heterostructures have been grown for structural and optical characterization. It has been shown that by changing the wire diameter, different growth mode for the heterostructure could be reached.At last, thanks to the cylindrical geometry of NWs, the measurement of diffusion length for charge carriers in GaN and AlN NWs have been performed.

Este trabalho apresenta o resultado de investigações sobre efeitos de spin em amostras de poços quânticos simples e duplos de AlGaAs, crescidos em substratos de GaAs por MBE - Molecular Beam Epitaxy. O estudo se concentra na variação do fator g de Landé ao longo da estrutura dos poços, a qual ocorre em virtude da dependência dessa grandeza, com respeito ao conteúdo de Al na liga AlGaAs. Através de cálculos autoconsistentes foram encontradas a distribuição eletrônica nos poços e a penetração da densidade eletrônica nas barreiras. Os cálculos se basearam em valores de densidade superficial de elétrons ns medidos experimentalmente em diversas amostras através de medidas de Hall e Shubnikov-de Haas. O estudo permitiu a determinação do valor esperado do fator g de Landé, em função do deslocamento da densidade eletrônica dentro dos poços devido `a ação de campos elétricos externos arbitrário. Também foi estudada a influência do tunelamento da densidade eletrônica dos poços. / In this work we presents the results of our investigations concerning MBE grown AlGaAs/GaAs single and double quantum well samples. We focused on the variation of the Land´e g factor along the structure of the quantum wells, which occur as a consquence of its dependence on the Al content on the alloy AlGaAs. The electronic distribution on the wells and the penetration of the eletronic density into the barriers of the samples were found through selfconsistent calculations. The calculations were based on the eletronic sheet density ns measured through Hall and Shubinikov-de Haas efects. This research allowed the determination of the expected value of the Landé g-factor, as a function of the displacement of the electronic state inside the wells due to an arbitrary external electric field action. Also the influence of the tunneling effects was also studied.

Pontos quânticos naturais ou auto-organizados de InAs e In0.5Ga0.5As foram produzidos sobre substratos de GaAs com diferentes orientações cristalográficas, utilizando-se a técnica de Epitaxia por Feixes Moleculares. Tais pontos foram caracterizados in situ através da Difração de Elétrons de Alta Energia por Reflexão (RHEED). As características do padrão do RHEED permitiram a determinação da espessura crítica para a qual ocorre a transição do modo de crescimento em duas dimensões para o de três dimensões, assim como também os planos perto dos quais, as faces das ilhas se encontram. A verificação dos resultados do RHEED foi feita utilizando Microscopia por Força Atômica. Esta técnica permitiu também determinar tanto a forma, densidade, altura e base das ilhas, como a morfologia da superfície onde os pontos não foram formados. Estudos ópticos das ilhas foram realizados, utilizando a técnica de Fotoluminescência (FL). Os resultados permitiram observar uma grande dependência dos espectros de FL com a orientação do substrato. Tal dependência é constatada na intensidade, forma e posição energética do pico de FL. A existência de um confinamento lateral adicional nestes pontos foi observada na dependência da intensidade do pico de FL com a temperatura. Medidas de polarização mostraram uma grande anisotropia estrutural para os pontos quânticos no plano, em concordância com os resultados do RHEED. / Self-assembled or self-organized quantum dots (QDs) of InAs and In0.5Ga0.5As were produced on different crystallographic oriented GaAs substrates using Molecular Beam Epitaxy. During the growth process the dots were characterized in situ by means of Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED). The features of RHEED pattern allowed the determination of the critical thickness, for which the transition 2D-3D occur, as well as the crystallographic planes of island facets. Confirmation of the RHEED observations was done using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). This technique allowed also determining the form and dimensions of each QD as well as the density of islands. Optical study of quantum dots was carried out by Photoluminescence (PL). Such characterization allowed us to observe a high dependence of PL peak intensity, peak form and peak position, and an additional lateral confiment at quantum dots was verified in the temperature dependence of PL peak intensity. Polarization measurements presented a strong anisotropy h-plane for self-assembled quantum dots, in agreement with RHEED observations.

Neste trabalho a epitaxia por feixes moleculares (Molecular Beam Epitaxy: MBE) foi utilizada para crescer estruturas de gases bidimensionais a base de In0.53Ga0.47As/ In0.52Al0.48As sobre substrato de fosfeto de índio (InP) e analisar suas propriedades estruturais. elétricas e óticas através de técnicas de caracterização, tais como efeito Hall, fotoluminescência (FL). Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). A calibração dos parâmetros de crescimento tais como a taxa de crescimento e a composição das ligas In0.53Ga0.47As/ In0.52Al0.48As foi feita através da observação das oscilações da da difração de elétrons de alta energia observado em reflexão (Reflection High-Energy Electron Difraction : RHEED) A densidade de dopante tipo n (em nosso caso. 0 silício) foi determinada posteriormente através de medidas de efeito Hall usando a técnica de Van der Pauw. Os resultados da Fotoluminescência mostram uma transição doador-banda com largura a meia altura (Full Width at Half Maximum : FWHM) de aproximadamente 23 meV, para a liga de In0.52Al0.48As. A formação de gás bidimensional nestas mesmas amostras tem sido observado indiretamente pela ocorrência de oscilações SdH. / In this work Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) was used to growth bidimensional gas structures based on In0.53Ga0.47As/ In0.52Al0.48As on Indium Phosfate substrate (lnP) Structural. electrical and optical properties were analyzed by characterisation techniques such as Hall eflect, photoluminescence (PL), Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Growth parameter calibration such as growth rate and alloy composition of In0.53Ga0.47As/ In0.52Al0.48As was determined through observation of Reflexion High-Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED) oscillation. Density of type dopant (in our case silicon Si) was obtained by. Hall effect measurements using Van der Pauw geometry Photoluminescence results show donor to band transition with Full Width at Half Maxima (FHWM) of approximatly 23meV, for the In0.52Al0.48As alloy. Bidimensional gas formation was indirectly observed in these samples through SdH oscillations.

This thesis focus on the epitaxial growth and optical characterization of diluted InAs/InP(001) quantum dots for the realisation of new nanophotonic devices emitting at 1.55 [micro]m. The structural and optical properties of the quantum islands are correlated to different growth parameters of a solid source molecular beam epitaxy system. Our results highlight the influence of InAs surface reconstructions on the island shape. Dots rather than elongated dashes usually observed can be directly formed by adequate growth conditions. Dash to dot shape transition is also demonstrated by post-growth treatments. Low dot densities are obtained for small InAs deposited thickness. Their emission wavelength is easily tuned to 1.55 [micro]m using the"double cap" procedure for the growth of the InP capping layer. Optical properties of such single InAs/InP quantum dots are then evaluated. Micro-photoluminescence studies reveal sharp and well separated emission lines near 1.55 [micro]m from single dots confirming their atom-like properties. Last, we propose for the first time a high spatial resolution method to study the carrier transport in the vicinity of a single quantum dot using a low-voltage cathodoluminescence technique. A direct measurement of the carrier diffusion length before capture into one dot has been obtained. These results open the way to the integration of these single dots into optical micro-cavities for the realisation of quantum light sources at 1.55 [micro]m.