Growth, strain relaxation properties and high-κ dielectric integration of mixed-anion GaAs1-ySby metamorphic materials

Abstract

Mixed-anion, GaAs1-ySby metamorphic materials with a wide range of antimony (Sb) compositions extending from 15% to 62%, were grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on GaAs substrates. The impact of different growth parameters on the Sb composition in GaAs1-ySby materials was systemically investigated. The Sb composition was well-controlled by carefully optimizing the As/Ga ratio, the Sb/Ga ratio, and the substrate temperature during the MBE growth process. High-resolution x-ray diffraction demonstrated a quasi-complete strain relaxation within each composition of GaAs1-ySby. Atomic force microscopy exhibited smooth surface morphologies across the wide range of Sb compositions in the GaAs1-ySby structures. Selected high-κ dielectric materials, Al2O3, HfO2, and Ta2O5 were deposited using atomic layer deposition on the GaAs0.38Sb0.62 material, and their respective band alignment properties were investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Detailed XPS analysis revealed a valence band offset of >2 eV for all three dielectric materials on GaAs0.38Sb0.62, indicating the potential of utilizing these dielectrics on GaAs0.38Sb0.62 for p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) applications. Moreover, both Al2O3 and HfO2 showed a conduction band offset of >2 eV on GaAs0.38Sb0.62, suggesting these two dielectrics can also be used for n-type MOS applications. The well-controlled Sb composition in several GaAs1-ySby material systems and the detailed band alignment analysis of multiple high-κ dielectric materials on a fixed Sb composition, GaAs0.38Sb0.62, provides a pathway to utilize GaAs1-ySby materials in future microelectronic and optoelectronic applications.