Spectroscopy of the Forming Process of Quantum Dots Accompanied by the Thinning of Wetting Layer

A series of Cd0.44Zn0.56Se/ZnSe sandwich structures with different Cd0.44Zn0.56Se embedded layer thicknesses were fabricated by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. When the embedded layer thickness exceeded 3.0 nm, the photoluminescence spectra of the sample changed into the two-band structure from the one-band structure, and atomic force microscopy images indicate that Cd0.44Zn0.56Se quantum dots were formed. In the two-band photoluminescence spectrum, the band at the low energy side was attributed to be from quantum dots, and the high-energy one arose from the wetting layer. Thinning of the wetting layer with quantum dots forming was confirmed indirectly by the significant blue shift of the wetting-layer photoluminescence band compared to the photoluminescence band of the samples for which the Cd0.44Zn0.56Se layer thickness was less than 3.0 nm. This thinning arose from mass migration during the Stranski–Krastanow growth of Cd0.44Zn0.56Se quantum dots.