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Ge quantum dot lattices in Al2O3 multilayers

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Abstract

In this article, we show how to produce materials consisting of regularly ordered Ge quantum dot lattices in an amorphous alumina matrix with a controllable Ge quantum dot size, shape, spacing, crystalline structure, and degree of regularity in their ordering. The production of such materials is achievable already at room temperature by magnetron sputtering deposition of a (Ge + Al2O3)/Al2O3 multilayer. The materials show photoluminescence in the visible and ultraviolet light range, a size-dependent blue shift of the photoluminescence peak and an enhancement of its intensity by size reduction, indicating the quantum dot origin of the photoluminescence. The materials also exhibit excellent mechanical properties due to the alumina matrix. Their internal structure is shown to be highly resistive to irradiation with energetic particles for a large range of the irradiation parameters.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by the Ministry of Science Education and Sports, Croatia (project numbers 0982886-2895, 098-0982886-2859, 1191005-2876, 0982934-2744), and by the European Community as an Integrating Activity [Support of Public and Industrial Research Using Ion Beam Technology (SPIRIT)] under EC contract no. 227012. The authors are grateful to Medeja Gec for preparing samples for STEM measurements and Aleksa Pavlešin for the help in the sample preparation. We thank the HZDR ROBL beam line at the ESRF, Grenoble, for providing us beam time to study in situ the growth process. V. H. acknowledges the support of the Czech Science foundation (project P204/11/0785) and G. D. acknowledges the support of the Slovenian Research Agency (P2-0084).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    M. Buljan, N. Radić, M. Ivanda, I. Bogdanović-Radović, M. Karlušić, G. Pletikapić, V. Svetličić & M. Jerčinović

  2. Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany

    J. Grenzer & S. Prucnal

  3. Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    G. Dražić

  4. Elettra-Sincrotrone, SS 14 km163.5, 34149, Basovizza, Italy

    S. Bernstorff

  5. Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

    V. Holý

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  1. M. Buljan
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  2. N. Radić
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  3. M. Ivanda
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Correspondence to M. Buljan.

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Buljan, M., Radić, N., Ivanda, M. et al. Ge quantum dot lattices in Al2O3 multilayers. J Nanopart Res 15, 1485 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-013-1485-9

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