Open Access Nano Express

Analysis of the 3D distribution of stacked self-assembled quantum dots by electron tomography

Jesús Hernández-Saz1*, Miriam Herrera1, Diego Alonso-Álvarez2 and Sergio I Molina1

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Author affiliations

1 INNANOMAT Group, Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales e I.M. y Q.I., Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro, s/n, Puerto Real, Cadiz, 11510, Spain

2 Instituto de Microelectrónica de Madrid, CNM (CSIC), c/Isaac Newton 8, PTM, Tres Cantos, Madrid, 28760, Spain

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Citation and License

Nanoscale Research Letters 2012, 7:681 doi:10.1186/1556-276X-7-681

Published: 18 December 2012

Abstract

The 3D distribution of self-assembled stacked quantum dots (QDs) is a key parameter to obtain the highest performance in a variety of optoelectronic devices. In this work, we have measured this distribution in 3D using a combined procedure of needle-shaped specimen preparation and electron tomography. We show that conventional 2D measurements of the distribution of QDs are not reliable, and only 3D analysis allows an accurate correlation between the growth design and the structural characteristics.

Keywords:
Focused ion beam; Electron tomography; Needle-shaped samples; Quantum dots; Semiconductor; transmission electron microscopy; High angle annular dark field; 81.05.Ea; 81.07.Ta; 68.37.Ma