InAs/GaAs Quantum-Dot Lasers Monolithically Grown on on-axis Silicon (001)

Inversion boundaries (IBs) are charged planer defects that arise from the growth of polar III-V materials on non-polar Si (001) substrate. This paper demonstrates a novel technique to achieve all-MBE grown, IB-free GaAs on on-axis Si (001) substrates by employing periodic Si single-atomic-height steps to re-distribute the nucleation of IBs and promote IB self-annihilation in the subsequent GaAs growth. Furthermore, an electronically pumped quantum-dot (QD) laser has been demonstrated on this IB-free GaAs/Si platform with a maximum operating temperature of 120 °C. These results could be a significant step towards the monolithic integration of III-V materials and devices with mature CMOS technology.