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A measurement technique, i.e. reflectance anisotropy/difference spectroscopy (RAS/RDS), which had originally been developed for in-situ
epitaxial growth control, is employed here for in-situ real-time etch-depth control during reactive ion etching (RIE) of cubic crystalline III/V
semiconductor samples. Temporal optical Fabry-Perot oscillations of the genuine RAS signal (or of the average reflectivity) during etching due
to the ever shrinking layer thicknesses are used to monitor the current etch depth. This way the achievable in-situ etch-depth resolution has
been around 15 nm. To improve etch-depth control even further, i.e. down to below 5 nm, we now use the optical equivalent of a mechanical
vernier scale– by employing Fabry-Perot oscillations at two different wavelengths or photon energies of the RAS measurement light – 5%
apart, which gives a vernier scale resolution of 5%. For the AlGaAs(Sb) material system a 5 nm resolution is an improvement by a factor of 3
and amounts to a precision in in-situ etch-depth control of around 8 lattice constants.
Meanwhile, electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) is a well-known phenomenon, even often exploited in active micro-optics to
change the curvature of microdroplet lenses or in analytical chemistry with digital microfluidics (DMF, lab on a chip 2.0) to move/
actuate microdroplets. Optoelectrowetting (OEW) can bring more flexibility to DMF because in OEW, the operating point of the
lab chip is locally controlled by a beam of light, usually impinging onto the chip perpendicularly. As opposed to pure EWOD, for
OEW, none of the electrodes has to be structured, which makes the chip design and production technology simpler; the path of
any actuated droplet is determined by the movement of the light spot. However, for applications in analytical chemistry, it would
be helpful if the space both below as well as that above the lab chip were not obstructed by any optical components and light
sources. Here, we report on the possibility to actuate droplets by laser light beams, which traverse the setup parallel to the chip
surface and inside the OEW layer sequence. Since microdroplets are grabbed by this surface-parallel, nondiverging, and
nonexpanded light beam, we call this principle “light line OEW” (LL-OEW).
Previously in this journal we have reported on fundamental transversemode selection (TMS#0) of broad area semiconductor lasers
(BALs) with integrated twice-retracted 4f set-up and film-waveguide lens as the Fourier-transform element. Now we choose and
report on a simpler approach for BAL-TMS#0, i.e., the use of a stable confocal longitudinal BAL resonator of length L with a
transverse constriction.The absolute value of the radius R of curvature of both mirror-facets convex in one dimension (1D) is R = L
= 2f with focal length f.The round trip length 2L = 4f againmakes up for a Fourier-optical 4f set-up and the constriction resulting
in a resonator-internal beam waist stands for a Fourier-optical low-pass spatial frequency filter. Good TMS#0 is achieved, as long
as the constriction is tight enough, but filamentation is not completely suppressed.
1. Introduction
Broad area (semiconductor diode) lasers (BALs) are intended
to emit high optical output powers (where “high” is relative
and depending on the material system). As compared to
conventional narrow stripe lasers, the higher power is distributed
over a larger transverse cross-section, thus avoiding
catastrophic optical mirror damage (COMD). Typical BALs
have emitter widths of around 100 ????m.
Thedrawback is the distribution of the high output power
over a large number of transverse modes (in cases without
countermeasures) limiting the portion of the light power in
the fundamental transverse mode (mode #0), which ought to
be maximized for the sake of good light focusability.
Thus techniques have to be used to support, prefer, or
select the fundamental transverse mode (transverse mode
selection TMS#0) by suppression of higher order modes
already upon build-up of the laser oscillation.
In many cases reported in the literature, either a BAL
facet, the
III/V semiconductor quantum dots (QD) are in the focus of optoelectronics research for about 25 years now. Most of the work
has been done on InAs QD on GaAs substrate. But, e.g., Ga(As)Sb (antimonide) QD on GaAs substrate/buffer have also gained
attention for the last 12 years.There is a scientific dispute on whether there is a wetting layer before antimonide QD formation, as
commonly expected for Stransky-Krastanov growth, or not. Usually ex situ photoluminescence (PL) and atomic force microscope
(AFM) measurements are performed to resolve similar issues. In this contribution, we show that reflectance anisotropy/difference
spectroscopy (RAS/RDS) can be used for the same purpose as an in situ, real-time monitoring technique. It can be employed not
only to identify QD growth via a distinct RAS spectrum, but also to get information on the existence of a wetting layer and its
thickness. The data suggest that for antimonide QD growth the wetting layer has a thickness of 1 ML (one monolayer) only.
We present a study of optoelectronically active Ga(As)As quantum dots (QDs) on Al-rich AlxGa1-xAs layers with Al concentrations
up to x=90%. So far, however, it has not been possible to grow optoelectronically active Ga(As)As QDs epitaxially
directly on and in between Al-rich barrier layers in the AlGaInAsSb material system. A QD morphology might appear on the
growth front, but the QD-like entities will not luminesce. Here, we use photoluminescence (PL) measurements to show that thin
Al-free capsule layers between Al-rich barrier layers and the QD layers can solve this problem; this way, the QDs become
optoelectronically active; that is, the dots become QDs. We consider antimonide QDs, that is, Ga(As)Sb QDs, either on GaAs for
comparison or on AlxGa1-xAs barriers (x >10%) with GaAs capsule layers in between. We also discuss the influence of QD
coupling both due to stress/strain from neighboring QDs and quantum-mechanically on the wavelength of the photoluminescence
peak. Due to their mere existence, the capsule layers alter the barriers by becoming part of them. Quantum dots
applications such as QD semiconductor lasers for spectroscopy or QDs as binary storage cells will profit from this additional
degree of design freedom.
Reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy (RAS), which was originally invented to monitor
epitaxial growth, can—as we have previously shown—also be used to monitor the reactive ion
etching of III/V semiconductor samples in situ and in real time, as long as the etching rate is not
too high and the abrasion at the etch front is not totally chaotic. Moreover, we have proven that—
using RAS equipment and optical Fabry-Perot oscillations due to the ever-shrinking thickness of the
uppermost etched layer—the in situ etch-depth resolution can be as good as +/-0.8 nm, employing a
Vernier-scale type measurement and evaluation procedure. Nominally, this amounts to +/-1.3 lattice
constants in our exemplary material system, AlGaAsSb, on a GaAs or GaSb substrate. In this
contribution, we show that resolutions of about +/-5.6 nm can be reliably achieved without a Vernier
scale protocol by employing thin doped layers or sharp interfaces between differently doped layers
or quantum-dot (QD) layers as etch-stop indicators. These indicator layers can either be added
to the device layer design on purpose or be part of it incidentally due to the functionality of the
device. For typical etch rates in the range of 0.7 to 1.3 nm/s (that is, about 40 to 80 nm/min), the RAS
spectrum will show a distinct change even for very thin indicator layers, which allows for the precise
termination of the etch run.
Initiated by a task in tunable microoptics, but not limited to this application, a microfluidic droplet array in an upright standing module with 3 × 3 subcells and droplet actuation via electrowetting is presented. Each subcell is filled with a single (of course transparent) water droplet, serving as a movable iris, surrounded by opaque blackened decane. Each subcell measures 1 × 1 mm ² and incorporates 2 × 2 quadratically arranged positions for the droplet. All 3 × 3 droplets are actuated synchronously by electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD). The droplet speed is up to 12 mm/s at 130 V (Vrms) with response times of about 40 ms. Minimum operating voltage is 30 V. Horizontal and vertical movement of the droplets is demonstrated. Furthermore, a minor modification of the subcells allows us to exploit the flattening of each droplet. Hence, the opaque decane fluid sample can cover each water droplet and render each subcell opaque, resulting in switchable irises of constant opening diameter. The concept does not require any mechanically moving parts or external pumps.