Self-assembled InAs/CaAs quantum dot (QD) heterostructures grown by solid state molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) were subjected to growth ripening pause of comparatively shorter durations (0-50 s) at the growth temperature (520 degrees C). The islands are found to increase in size with the growth pause and correspondingly their density decreases. Though the photoluminescence spectra of the islands subjected to growth pause is found to follow conventional QD systems, a contradiction is noticed in the calculated values of the activation energy of the dots. We ascribed this contradiction due to the poor crystalline quality of the ripened QDs as a result of desorption and sublimation of indium during the pause at high growth temperature. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.