GaMnAs: Layers, Wires and Dots

Thin layers of GaMnAs ferromagnetic semiconductor grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs(001) substrates were studied. To improve their magnetic properties the post-growth annealing procedures were applied, using the surface passivation layers of amorphous arsenic. This post-growth treatment effectively increases the ferromagnetic-to-paramagnetic phase transition in GaMnAs, and provides surface-rich MnAs layer which can be used for formation of low-dimensional structures such as superlattices. If the surface rich MnAs layer consists of MnAs dots, then it is possible to grow Mn-doped GaAs nanowires.