The structural and optical properties of self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) with various InGaAs structures were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL). The emission peak position of InAs QDs covered by a 6 nm In0.15Ga0.85As layer was 1.26 μm with PL linewidth of 31 meV, which is narrower than that of QDs in a GaAs matrix. By inserting a 1 nm In0.15Ga0.85As layer below the InAs QD layer with a 6 nm In0.15Ga0.85As overgrowth layer, the emission peak position was redshifted with larger energy-level spacing between the ground states and the first excited states compared to that of QDs with an In0.15Ga0.85As overgrowth layer only. By covering the InAs QDs on a 1 nm In0.15Ga0.85As layer with an 8 nm InxGa1−xAs layer having graded In composition, the emission peak position was 1.32 μm with relatively larger energy-level spacing and narrower PL linewidth compared to QDs covered by an In0.15Ga0.85As layer. The longer emission wavelength with relatively larger energy-level spacing was largely related to the change in the QD shape and size, especially the aspect ratio (height/width), which was confirmed by cross-sectional TEM images.

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Shape-engineered InAs quantum dots (QDs) were grown by using thin In0.15Ga0.85As and a monolayer (ML) of InAs with different periods on 3 ML InAs QDs and their structural and optical properties were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL), and photoreflectance (PR) spectroscopy. Cross-sectional TEM images of the QD samples showed that the shape, particularly the height of the QD, could be effectively controlled without any significant degradation in QD quality, such as the generation of dislocations in the QD, thus changing the optical properties. PL and PR spectra indicated that all the layers required for the formation of shaped-engineered QD were grown without any degradation in QD properties. PL spectra of shape-engineered QDs that had been subjected to rapid thermal annealing showed an abnormal behavior compared to those of conventionally grown InAs QDs.

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Self-assembled InAs∕InAlGaAs quantum dots (QDs) in an InAlGaAs matrix on InP (001) substrates were grown by the alternate growth method (AGQD), where an InAs layer with a thickness of 1 monolayer (ML) and an InAlGaAs layer with a thickness of 1 ML were alternately deposited. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy images indicated that the aspect ratio (height/width) for the AGQDs was ∼0.25, which was higher than ∼0.10 of conventionally grown InAs QDs. The photoluminescence (PL) peak position for the ground states of the AGQDs was 1.485μm with a linewidth broadening of 42meV at room temperature, while the PL linewidth for the conventionally grown QDs was 85meV. And the peaks for the excited-state transitions were also clearly observed from the excitation-power dependent PL. This is the first observation on the well-defined excited-state transitions from the InP-based InAs QDs, even though there were several reports on the features of the excited states.