The sizes and concentrations of capped and surface InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots
(QDs) grown under the same conditions have been investigated. Comparisons
obtained with transmission electron microscopy and scanning probe microscop
y imaging show a significant enlargement in the sizes of surface QDs compar
ed with capped QDs. This discrepancy in dot dimensions increases with decre
asing island surface densities and can be partially explained by thermal ad
atom condensation during sample cooling. These findings suggest a technique
to estimate adatom concentrations and their migration lengths in strained
heteroepitaxy. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)03312
-X].