(Invited) Novel Luminescent Materials Based on Semiconductor Nanowires

Recent work on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of InAsP/InP nanowires are reported. InP nanowires were grown on <111> Si substrates by the Au-assisted vapor-liquid-solid process in a gas source molecular beam epitaxy system. InAsyP1-y segments were grown within the InP nanowires, creating single or multiple quantum dots structures. The quantum dot dimensions and composition were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). PL from the quantum dot structures could be tuned by the InAsyP1-y composition (y), or by the size of the quantum dot via the quantum confinement effect. Cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements confirmed localized emission from the quantum dots. To reduce detrimental surface states, the nanowires were passivated with an AlInP shell, which resulted in strong PL emission.