Growth of GaN layers on GaAs and GaP (111) and (001) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy

Films of GaN have been grown using a modified MBE technique in which the active nitrogen is supplied from an RF plasma source. Wurtzite films grown on (001) oriented GaAs substrates show highly defective, ordered polycrystalline growth with a columnar structure, the (0001) planes of the layers being parallel to the (001) planes of the GaAs substrate. Films grown using a coincident As flux, however, have a single crystal zinc-blende growth mode. They have better structural and optical properties. To improve the properties of the wurtzite films we have studied the growth of such films on (111) oriented GaAs and GaP substrates. The improved structural properties of such films, assessed using X-ray and TEM method, correlate with better low-temperature FL.

Optical and structural properties of anodized AlxGa1-xAs layers

The optical and structural properties of anodized AlxGa1-xAs films were investigated by using optical reflectance, X-ray photoemission and Auger electron spectroscopy (XPS and AES). II was found that the anodization process occurs progressively from the surface to the bulk of AlxGa1-xAs and the formed oxidation film comprises mainly oxides of Al and Ga together with a relatively small amount of As. The refractive indexes of the anodized Al0.8Ga0.2As film and Al0.8Ga0.2As film itself were deduced to be about 1.80 and 3.25, respectively, indicating that the anodization film is desirable for anti-reflection coating of the surface of AlxGa1-xAs/GaAs solar cells. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.

X-ray-diffraction study of quasipseudomorphic ErSi1.7 layers formed by channeled ion-beam synthesis

ErSi1.7 layers with high crystalline quality (chi(min) of Er is 1.5%) have been formed by 90 keV Er ion implantation to a dose of 1.6X10(17)/cm(2) at 450 degrees C using channeled implantation. The perpendicular and parallel elastic strain e(perpendicular to)=-0.94%+/-0.02% and e(parallel to)=1.24%+/-0.08% of the heteroepitaxial erbium silicide layers have been measured with symmetric and asymmetric x-ray reflections using a double-crystal x-ray diffractometer. The deduced tetragonal distortion e(T(XRD))=e(parallel to)-e(perpendicular to)=2.18%+/-0.10%, which is consistent with the value e(T(RBS))2.14+/-0.17% deduced from the Rutherford backscattering and channeling measurements. The quasipseudomorphic growth of the epilayer and the stiffness along a and c axes of the epilayer deduced from the x-ray diffraction are discussed.

Characterization and improvement of GaAs layers grown on Si using an ultrathin a-Si film as a buffer layer

GaAs epilayers grown on Si by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) using an ultrathin a-Si buffer layer were characterized by deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). Six electron traps with activation energies of 0.79, 0.67, 0.61, 0.55, 0.53 and 0.32 eV below the conduction band were determined by fitting the experimental spectra. Two of the levels, C (0.61 eV) and F (0.32 eV), were first detected in GaAs epilayers on Si and identified as the metastable defects M3 and M4, respectively. In order to improve the quality of GaAs/Si epilayers, another GaAs layer was grown on the GaAs/Si epilayers grown using MOCVD. The deep levels in this regrown GaAs epilayer were also studied using DLTS. Only the EL2 level was found in the regrown GaAs epilayers. These results show that the quality of the GaAs epilayer was greatly improved by applying this growth process.

Uniformity Investigation in 3C-SiC Epitaxial Layers Grown on Si Substrates by Horizontal Hot-Wall CVD

50mm 3C-SiC epilayers are grown on （100） and （111） Si substrates in a newly developed horizontal lowpressure hot-wall CVD reactor under different growth pressures and flow rates of H_2 carrier gas. The structure,electrical properties, and thickness uniformity of the 3C-SiC epilayers are investigated by X-ray diffraction （XRD） ,sheet resistance measurement, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. XRD patterns show that the 3C-SiC films have excellent crystallinity. The narrowest full widths at half maximum of the SIC（200） and （111） peaks are 0.41° and 0.21°, respectively. The best electrical uniformity of the 50mm 3C-SiC films obtained by sheet resistance measurement is 2.15%. A σ/mean value of ± 5.7% in thickness uniformity is obtained.

Growth of near planar Si0.5Ge0.5 epitaxial layers directly on Si substrate by UHV/CVD at 500℃

The relationship between Ge content of Si1-xGex layers and growth conditions was investigated via UHV/CVD system at relative low temperature of 500℃. Si1-xGex layers were in a metastable state in this case. 10-period strained 3.0 nm- Si0.5Ge0.5/3.4 nm- Si multi quantum wells were obtained directly on Si substrate. Raman Measurement, high resolution electron microscopy and photoluminescence were used to characterize the structural and optical properties. It is found that such relative thick Si0.5Ge0.5/Si multi quantum wells are still near planar and free of dislocations, that makes it exploit applications to electrical and optical devices.

A 1.3μm Low-Threshold Edge-Emitting Laser with AlInAs-Oxide Confinement Layers

A 1.3μm low-threshold edge-emitting AlGaInAs multiple-quantum-well(MQW) laser with AlInAs-oxide confinement layers is fabricated.The Al-contained waveguide layers upper and low the active layers are oxidized as current-confined layers using wet-oxidation technique.This structure provides excellent current and optical confinement,resulting in 12.9mA of a low continuous wave threshold current and 0.47W/A of a high slope efficiency of per facet at room temperature for a 5-μm-wide current aperture.Compared with the ridge waveguide laser with the same-width ridge,the threshold current of the AlInAs-oxide confinement laser has decreased by 31.7% and the slope efficiency has increased a little.Both low threshold and high slope efficiency indicate that lateral current confinement can be realized by oxidizing AlInAs waveguide layers.The full width of half maximum angles of the Al-InAs-oxide confinement laser are 21.6° for the horizontal and 36.1° for the vertical,which demonstrate the ability of the AlInAs oxide in preventing the optical field from spreading laterally.

Improved Epitaxy of 3C-SiC Layers on Si(100) by New CVD/LPCVD System

Single crystalline 3C-SiC epitaxial layers are grown on φ50mm Si wafers by a new resistively heated CVD/LPCVD system, using SiH_4, C_2H_4 and H_2 as gas precursors. X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering measurements are used to investigate the crystallinity of the grown films. Electrical properties of the epitaxial 3C-SiC layers with thickness of 1 ～ 3μm are measured by Van der Pauw method. The improved Hall mobility reaches the highest value of 470cm~2/(V·s) at the carrier concentration of 7.7 * 10~(17)cm~(-3).

Low-frequency noise properties of GaN Schottky barriers deposited on intermediate temperature buffer layers

Metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) structures were fabricated by RF-plasma-assisted MBE using different buffer layer structures. One type of buffer structure consists of an AlN high-temperature buffer layer (HTBL) and a GaN intermediate temperature buffer layer (ITBL), another buffer structure consists of just a single A IN HTBL. Systematic measurements in the flicker noise and deep level transient Fourier spectroscopy (DLTFS) measurements were used to characterize the defect properties in the films. Both the noise and DLTFS measurements indicate improved properties for devices fabricated with the use of ITBL and is attributed to the relaxation of residue strain in the epitaxial layer during growth process. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.