On the design and characterization of a novel arsine cracking furnace utilizing catalytic decomposition of AsH3 to yield a purely monomeric source of arsenic for molecular beam epitaxial growth of GaAs

Abstract

Arsine (AsH3) used as an arsenic source in molecular beam epitaxy instead of solid arsenic has been found to decompose catalytically instead of thermally under MBE growth conditions. Dehydrogenation of AsH3 in a spiral quartz cracking furnace containing an electrically heated catalyst has produced a purely monomeric beam of arsenic suitable for the growth of MBE GaAs and related III–V compounds. Experimental procedures and results of the AsH3 cracking are reported together with electrical and optical characterization of the first purely As1 grown MBE GaAs.