Spectroscopic characterization of the evolution of self-assembled CdSe quantum dots

We have investigated the evolution of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)-grown, CdSe self-assembled quantum dots on ZnSe surfaces using microphotoluminescence techniques. Bare CdSe dots at room temperature undergo Ostwald ripening over a time scale measured in days. At the elevated temperatures maintained for MBE growth and dot formation, ripening is expected to progress much faster. Capping the dots with a thin ZnSe layer "freezes" the ripening, allowing one to sample different stages of the dot evolution and subsequent characterization. We have grown eleven samples, each with a different time interval, or growth interruption, between dot formation and capping; the growth interruption times ranging from 0 to 300 s, during which the samples were kept at 300°C. Using microphotoluminescence spectroscopy, we have resolved the sharp emission peaks due to individual dots in each sample and, by analyzing the ensemble characteristics, have identified a new regime in the evolution of CdSe dots.