Oxide crystals on the surface of porous indium phosphide

Abstract

Purpose: f this paper is to is to establish the patterns of oxide formation on the surface of indium phosphide during electrochemical etching of mono-InP. Design/methodology/approach: A porous surface was formed with the anode electrolytic etching. Morphology of the surface was studied with the help of scanning electron microscope JSM-6490. The analysis of chemical composition of porous surface of samples was also performed. Findings: It was shown that during the electrochemical etching of indium phosphide, oxide films and crystallites form on the surface. It has been established that crystalline oxides are formed mainly on the surface of n-type indium phosphide. Continuous oxide films are predominantly formed on the surface of p-InP. Research limitations/implications: The research was carried out for indium phosphide samples synthesized in the solution of hydrofluoric acid, though, carrying out of similar experiments for crystalline oxides on the surface of porous indium phosphide obtained in other conditions, is necessary. Practical implications: The study of oxide crystals on the surface of porous indium phosphide has great practical importance since it is the reproducibility of experimental results that is the main problem of modern materials science, the more nanoengineering. Oxides can significantly affect the properties of materials. On the one hand, oxides significantly affect the recombination properties of materials, this can impair the operation of semiconductor devices. On the other hand, oxide films can serve as a passivating coating for the surface of a porous semiconductor. Such an oxide property will be useful for the practical application of nanostructured indium phosphide. Therefore, questions of the conditions for the formation of semiconductor intrinsic oxides, their structure, and chemical composition, and also the effect of oxides on the physical and technical characteristics of materials are important. Originality/value: The patterns of oxide formation on the surface of indium phosphide during electrochemical etching are investigated in this work. It is shown for the first time that the structure of an oxide depends on the orientation of the surface of the semiconductor. It was shown that continuous oxide films are formed on the surface of p-InP, and oxide crystalline clusters are formed on the surface of n-InP.