Investigation into the InAs/GaAs quantum dot material epitaxially grown on silicon for O band lasers

InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) lasers were grown on silicon substrates using a thin Ge buffer and three-step growth method in the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system. In addition, strained superlattices were used to prevent threading dislocations from propagating to the active region of the laser. The as-grown material quality was characterized by the transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscope, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The results show that a high-quality GaAs buffer with few dislocations was obtained by the growth scheme we developed. A broad-area edge-emitting laser was also fabricated. The O-band laser exhibited a threshold current density of 540 A/cm2 at room temperature under continuous wave conditions. This work demonstrates the potential of large-scale and low-cost manufacturing of the O-band InAs/GaAs quantum dot lasers on silicon substrates.