In situ preparation of Si p-n junctions and subsequent surface preparation for III-V heteroepitaxy in MOCVD ambient

Abstract

III-V integration on active Si-bottom cells promises not only high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells but also lower production costs. In situ preparation of an adequate Si p-n junction in metalorganic chemical vapor deposition ambient is challenging, particularly since the final Si surface should be atomically well-ordered to enable low-defect III-V nucleation. Precisely, a single-domain Si(100) surface with double layer steps needs to be prepared in order to suppress antiphase disorder in subsequently grown III-V layer structures on top of the Si p-n junction. We first investigate the formation of a n+-type collector in Si(100) as a result of annealing in tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) or tertiarybutylarsine (TBAs) ambient. We illustrate how the n-type doping concentrations and their depth profiles depend on the essential preparation parameters, such as precursor partial pressures, exposure and annealing time, as well as reactor pressure. Subsequently, by applying in situ reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy, we find that exposure of Si(100) to TBP or TBAs leads to atomic disorder on the surface. Further, we apply an additional annealing step without precursor supply leading to predominantly (1×2) reconstructed Si(100) surfaces, which are suitable for subsequent low-defect III-V growth.