The growth of gallium arsenide on Si(100) by molecular-beam epitaxy

Abstract

The growth of GaAs on Si(100) directly and with Ge buffer layers has been carried out sequentially under ultra high vacuum conditions in a double-ended III–V and group IV molecular beam epitaxy system. These heterostructures were examined by cross-section transverse emission microscopy, Rutherford backscattering, X-ray diffraction, and photoluminescence spectroscopy.Dislocation densities were observed to be high [Formula: see text] near both the GaAs–Si and the Ge–Si interfaces and to decrease to ~5 × 108 cm−2 a few micrometres from these interfaces. No dislocations were observed to originate at the GaAs–Ge interface, but the threading dislocations existing in the Ge buffer layer were found to propagate across this interface without significant deviation. The crystalline quality of the GaAs grown on Ge buffer layers was comparable with that grown on Si directly. However, GaAs has not yet been grown on the highest quality Ge buffer layers obtainable.