Novel integration of a group IV electron-beam deposition capability with a III–V molecular beam epitaxy system*

Abstract

A novel way of integrating epitaxial Si and carbon (C) doping capabilities within an existing solid-source III–V molecular beam epitaxy system by means of electron-beam evaporation is reported. By significantly increasing the Si evaporation rate over conventional effusion cells, this technique offers a practical way of growing high Si content (III–V)–Si alloys and superlattices. The use of GaAs–Si alloys with adjustable lattice constants for GaAs on Si growth with improved crystalline quality over previous methods is also demonstrated. Both uniform layer and delta-doped C in GaAs (p-type concentration up to the mid 1019/cm3 range) are demonstrated with carrier mobility comparable to other doping sources. These extended capabilities should find wide applications ranging from material synthesis to III–V devices and technology.