A comparison of reducing the dislocation densities in GaAs grown by the vertical gradient freeze and liquid-encapsulated Czochralski techniques

Abstract

We have recently applied the quasi-steady state heat transfer/thermal stress model for dislocation generation to the vertical gradient freeze (VGF) process for GaAs, permitting a direct comparison with the original treatment of liquid-encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) growth. Very recent high temperature critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) data on undoped VGF and In-doped LEC specimens were used. We show that the ∼threefold increase in CRSS with In is sufficient to inhibit defect formation in the central ∼75% of 3 in. diameter LEC wafers grown in a high ambient temperature gradient, duplicating the etch-pit density (EPD) data. Undoped VGF wafers are predicted to be nearly dislocation-free. The theoretical results on 3 in. material track the low EPD counts in both the 〈100〉 and 〈110〉 directions in a 5 K/cm gradient imposed on the crystals’ surface. We also discuss the origin of dislocations in regions free of thermal stresses and propose their suppression by the addition of a small amount of In in VGF experiments.