Preparation of Sb/GaSb{111}-oriented multilayer structures using molecular-beam epitaxy and migration enhanced epitaxy

Abstract

We have performed an investigation into the synthesis of Sb/GaSb heterojunctions and multilayers using the technique of molecular-beam epitaxy. The GaSb/Sb system has a number of unique features relevant to synthesis of an epitaxial semimetal/semiconductor system. On the (111) plane of the rhombohedral crystal structure of Sb, both the hexagonal symmetry and in plane lattice parameter allow near perfect registry to the Sb atoms on the (111) plane of the zinc blende structure of GaSb. This study shows that Sb can be grown epitaxially on GaSb{111} oriented epilayers and that GaSb can be subsequently grown on the Sb epilayers at temperatures ≤300 °C by migration enhanced epitaxy. Growth and resultant film properties have been characterized by reflection high-energy electron diffraction, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Hall.