Browsing by Author "Garro, N."

Using synchrotron radiation nanoprobe, this work reports on the elemental distribution in single In(x)Ga(1-x)N nanowires (NWs) grown by molecular beam epitaxy directly on Si(111) substrates. Single NWs dispersed on Al covered sapphire were characterized by nano-X-ray fluorescence, Raman scattering and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Both Ga and In maps reveal an inhomogeneous axial distribution inside single NWs. The analysis of NWs from the same sample but with different dimensions suggests a decrease of In segregation with the reduction of NW diameter, while Ga distribution seems to remain unaltered. Photoluminescence and Raman scattering measurements carried out on ensembles of NWs exhibit relevant signatures of the compositional disorder. (C) 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra have been measured for a set of self-assembled InN nanowires (NWs) and a high-crystalline quality InN layer grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. The PLE experimental lineshapes have been reproduced by a self-consistent calculation of the absorption in a cylindrical InN NW. The differences in the PLE spectra can be accounted for the inhomogeneous electron distribution within the NWs caused by a bulk donor concentration (N(D)(+)) and a two-dimensional density of ionized surface states (N(ss)(+)). For NW radii larger than 30 nm, N(D)(+) and N(ss)(+) modify the absorption edge and the lineshape, respectively, and can be determined from the comparison with the experimental data.

In this paper we review some recent results on the optical properties of nitride nanostructures, in particular on GaN quantum dots (QDs) and InN nanocolumns (NCs). First, we will give a brief introduction on the particularities of vibrational modes of wurtzite. The GaN QDs, embedded in AlN, were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) in the Stransky-Krastanov mode on c-and a-plane 6H-SiC. We have studied the optical properties by means of photoluminescence (PL) and performed Raman scattering measurements to analyze the strain relaxation in the dots and the barrier, the effect of the internal electric fields, and the influence of specific growth parameters, like the influence of capping or the spacer on the relaxation of the QDs. A theoretical model, based on continuous elastic theory, were developed to interpret the Raman scattering results. On the other hand, InN NCs have been grown by MBE in the vapor-liquid-solid mode using Au as a catalyst. The nanocolumns have different morphology depending on the growth conditions. The optical properties can be correlated to the morphology of the samples and the best growth conditions can be selected. We observe, from the analysis of the Raman data in InN NCs, the existence of two space regions contributing to the scattering: the surface and the inner region. From the inner region, uncoupled phonon modes are clearly observed, showing the high crystal quality and the complete relaxation of the NCs (no strain). The observation of a LO-phonon-plasmon couple in the same spectra is a fingerprint of the accumulation layer predicted at the surface of the nanocolumns. (C) 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Vertically self-aligned InN nanocolumns have been investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy, Raman scattering, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Different nanocolumn morphologies corresponding to different molecular beam epitaxy growth conditions have been studied. Raman spectra revealed strain-free nanocolumns with high crystalline quality for the full set of samples studied. Longitudinal optical modes both uncoupled and coupled to an electron plasma coexist in the Raman spectra pointing to the existence of two distinctive regions in the nanocolumn: a surface layer of degenerated electrons and a nondegenerated inner core. The characteristics of the low-temperature photoluminescence and its dependence on temperature and excitation power can be explained by a model considering localized holes recombining with degenerated electrons close to the nonpolar surface. The differences observed in the optical response of different samples showing similar crystalline quality have been attributed to the variation in the electron accumulation layer with the growth conditions.

The radial alloy distribution of In-x Ga1-xN nanowires grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy has been investigated by three different techniques with nanometric spatial resolution and capability to study single nanowires. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy radial line-scans revealed a gradient in the alloy composition of individual nanowires. Resonant Raman scattering and spatially resolved X-ray diffraction showed the existence of three distinctive regions with different alloy composition. The combination of the three techniques provides robust evidence of the spontaneous formation of a core-shell structure with a thin Ga-richer shell wrapping an In-rich core at the bottom part of the nanowires. This composition-modulated nanostructure offers an attractive way to explore new device concepts in fully epitaxial nanowire-based solar cells. ((c) 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The elemental distribution of self-organized In-rich InxGa1-xN nanowires grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy has been investigated using three different techniques with spatial resolution on the nanoscale. Two-dimensional images and elemental profiles of single nanowires obtained by x-ray fluorescence and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, respectively, have revealed a radial gradient in the alloy composition of each individual nanowire. The spectral selectivity of resonant Raman scattering has been used to enhance the signal from very small volumes with different elemental composition within single nanowires. The combination of the three techniques has provided sufficient sensitivity and spatial resolution to prove the spontaneous formation of a core-shell nanowire and to quantify the thicknesses and alloy compositions of the core and shell regions. A theoretical model based on continuum elastic theory has been used to estimate the strain fields present in such inhomogeneous nanowires. These results suggest new strategies for achieving high quality non-polar heterostructures.

In this study, we report on the incorporation of dilute Gd amounts into GaN films grown by molecular beam epitaxy. A combination of x-ray fluorescence with x-ray absorption spectroscopic techniques enabled us to examine not only the distribution of rare earth atoms in the GaN matrix but also the short-range structural order. Our results show Gd atoms in a trivalent state with tetrahedral coordination, thus substituting Ga in the wurtzite GaN structure. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.