The evolution of electroluminescence in Ge quantum-dot diodes with the fold number

摘要

The electroluminescence of the light-emitting diodes with five-, ten and 30-fold p-type Ge quantum dots grown on n~(+) Si substrates is studied. The enhanced integral electroluminescence intensity and blueshift of the 30-fold one at high temperature (>200 K) act contrary to those in five- and ten-fold ones. It is attributed to the emission in the higher-fold quantum dots enabled by the injected electrons diffusing the farther at the higher temperature. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the size of the Ge quantum dots and the Si component in them, both increase with increasing the fold number. Due to the strain-induced intermixing at the high-fold quantum dots, those dots hence have large band gap and result in the intensity increment and blueshift at the high temperature.