Surface Reaction Mechanisms Governing the Selective Area Growth of III-V Compound Semiconductors by Chemical Beam Epitaxy

Abstract

ABSTRACTPrevious studies have helped elucidate the underlying mechanisms for selective area epitaxy in chemical beam epitaxy by investigating the reactions of triethylgallium (TEG) on a silicon nitride surface. However no explanation was produced as to why selective growth is lost at low temperatures or high Gp V beam fluxes. This question is addressed in this paper which examines the interaction between TEG and As2 on the silicon nitridesurface. In the absence of arsenic, TEG adsorbs with a low sticking probability on the dielectric. Adsorbed species mainly desorb rather than decompose, and any Ga produced on the surface becomes converted to a nitride form; no free Ga is produced hence GaAs growth cannot occur. Arsenic is found to form a weakly adsorbed phase on the nitride surface. Reaction with co-adsorbed TEG results in the formation of GaAs. Adsorbed As also is efficient in increasing the reactive sticking probability of TEG.The results provide further insight into the reaction mechanisms governing selected area epitaxy.