High-Resistivity Semi-insulating AlSb on GaAs Substrates Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Abstract

Thin-film structures containing AlSb were grown using solid-source molecular beam epitaxy and characterized for material quality, carrier transport optimization, and room-temperature radiation detection response. Few surface defects were observed, including screw dislocations resulting from shear strain between lattice-mismatched layers. Strain was also indicated by broadening of the AlSb peak in x-ray diffraction measurements. Threading dislocations and interfacial misfit dislocations were seen with transmission electron microscopy imaging. Doping of the AlSb layer was introduced during growth using GaTe and Be to determine the effect on Hall transport properties. Hall mobility and resistivity were largest for undoped AlSb samples, at 3000 cm2/V s and 106 Ω cm, respectively, and increased doping levels progressively degraded these values. To test for radiation response, p-type/intrinsic/n-type (PIN) diode structures were grown using undoped AlSb on n-GaAs substrates, with p-GaSb cap layers to protect the AlSb from oxidation. Alpha-particle radiation detection was achieved and spectra were produced for 241Am, 252Cf, and 239Pu sources. Reducing the detector surface area increased the pulse height observed, as expected based on voltage–capacitance relationships for diodes.