Measurement of Diffusion and Segregation in Semiconductor Quantum Dots and Quantum Wells by Transmission Electron Microscopy: A Guide

Strategies are discussed to distinguish interdiffusion and segregation and to measure key parameters such as diffusivities and segregation lengths in semiconductor quantum dots and quantum wells by electron microscopy methods. Spectroscopic methods are usually necessary when the materials systems are complex while imaging methods may suffice for binary or simple ternary compounds where atomic intermixing is restricted to one type of sub-lattice. The emphasis on methodology should assist microscopists in evaluating and quantifying signals from electron micrographs and related spectroscopic data. Examples presented include CdS/ZnS core/shell particles and SiGe, InGaAs and InGaN quantum wells.