Fabrication of high quality factor GaAs/InAsSb photonic crystal microcavities by inductively coupled plasma etching and fast wet etching

The authors demonstrate high quality factor GaAs-based L9 photonic crystal microcavities (PCMs) with embedded InAsSb quantum dots with emission in 1.3¿¿m at room temperature. The fabrication process uses reactive ion beam etching with a CHF3/N2 gas mixture and reactive ion etching with a BCl3/N2 gas mixture to form PCMs on air-suspended slabs. An optimum N2 partial flux content of 0.65 and a successful removal of deposits formed during the membrane release by a fast wet etching in HF provide optical quality factors (Q-factors) as high as ~30 000.The authors thank Spanish MINECO TEC2011-29120-C05-04, ENE2012-37804-C02-02, and CAM S2009ESP-1503, S2009/ENE-1477. I.P., L.E.M., and C.R. acknowledge the FPI and JAE program. The authors thank Francisco Javier Delgado and Sergio Molina from UCA for TEM measurements, and Andrés Valera from ICMM-CSIC for EDAX analysis.Peer Reviewe