Shape control via surface reconstruction kinetics of droplet epitaxy nanostructures

We present the fabrication and discuss the growth dynamics of two classes of GaAs quantum nanostructures fabricated by droplet epitaxy, namely, double rings and coupled ring-disks. Their morphological differences has been investigated and found to be originated by the kinetic of the changes in the surface reconstruction around the initially formed Ga droplets during the arsenization step. The control of surface reconstruction dynamics thus permits a fine tuning of the actual nanostructure shape at the nanoscale, based on pure self-assembling techniques. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.