Epitaxial growth on InP substrates etched with methane reactive ion etching technique

Abstract

InP substrates have been etched by RIE using a mixture of methane, argon and hydrogen. With angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, we show that, after etching, a nonstoichiometric layer is created at the surface: this layer is phosphorus depleted and extends to a thickness varying from 10 to 40 Å according to the RIE conditions. We demonstrate that a heat treatment under P2 atoms is able to restore the surface crystallinity and permits the growth of high-quality epilayers.