Growth of GaSb dots nucleation layer and thin-film GaSb on Si(100) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract

Gallium antimonide (GaSb) dots and thin-film GaSb using GaSb dots as nucleation layer were grown on a 2-inch Si(100) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Compared to our previous works in ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (UHV-STM) system, higher-density and smaller-size GaSb dots were formed on the Si(100) substrate at 300?C. It is considered that the difference of Sb species and growth rate affects the diffusion length of Ga atoms, and that caused the density and size of GaSb dots higher and smaller in case of the MBE growth. Furthermore, the domain structure of GaSb with step and terrace surface structures was formed when a 100-nm-thick GaSb was also grown using the GaSb dots nucleation layer on the Si(100) substrate at 500°C, indicating that GaSb dots are quite useful as nucleation layer for epitaxial growth of thin-film GaSb on the large-area Si(100) substrate.