Monolithic III-nitride nanowire detectors on silicon

Abstract

III-nitride nanowires and disk-in-nanowire heterostructures grown on silicon substrates have been used to realize light emitting diodes (LEDs) [1, 2] and diode lasers [3, 4]. We have recently demonstrated edge-emitting disk-in-nanowire diode lasers, in which the gain region consists of multiple InxGa1−xN (0.3≤×≤0.85)/GaN disks and the emission wavelength varied in the range of 0.53 to 1.2 μm [4]. A monolithic detector technology using III-nitride nanowires on silicon has not been demonstrated in any wavelength range. The InGaN disk, or a quantum dot formed in the disk region [5] would be the main photon absorbing region of the device. Along with the monolithic diode lasers, the detectors could form a part of a photonic integrated circuit on silicon. In the presented study we have investigated the potential of InGaN/GaN disk-in-nanowire arrays on (001)Si for near-infrared and infrared detection.