Growth and characterization of GaAs on Si substrates grown by molecular-beam epitaxy

Abstract

Single-crystal GaAs layers have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on (100) Si substrates. Surface morphology, defect density, and optical and electrical properties have been studied as a function of the growth parameters. The characterization techniques included photoluminescence, Hall effect, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. GaAs metal semiconductor field-effect transitors on Si exhibited transconductances of 128 mS∙mm−1 and current-gain cutoff frequencies as high as 19 GHz. Special heterostructures showed Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations at low temperature and plateaux in the Hall resistance, which confirmed the presence of two-dimensional electron gas in the heterostructure.