Growth and characterisation of self-assembled cubic GaN quantum dots

Abstract Self-assembled cubic GaN quantum dots have been grown by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy on cubic AlN. Atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy reveal islands of a mean height of 1.6 nm and a mean diameter of 13 nm. The influence of stacking faults on island nucleation is discussed. The quantum dots show ultraviolet photo- and cathodo-luminescence with no thermal quenching up to room temperature.