Thick orientation-patterned GaAs grown by low-pressure HVPE on fusion-bonded templates

Abstract

Quasi-phase-matched GaAs layers up to 600μm thick have been produced by low-pressure hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) regrowth on templates fabricated using wafer fusion bonding. We have used this combination of techniques to demonstrate an alternative approach for commercial development of orientation-patterned GaAs (OP-GaAs) for nonlinear optical frequency conversion applications. We report on the characterization of this material and present a comparison with OP-GaAs grown using the conventional all-epitaxial templates. The primary advantages of the wafer fusion method are the avoidance of the molecular beam epitaxy growth of GaAs/Ge/GaAs and the ability to use substrates without misorientation. We have observed that some of the misorientation-related growth defects which affect conventional OP-GaAs growth are not as problematic for regrowth on wafer fusion bonded templates. The overall quality of antiphase domain propagation was similar to conventional OP-GaAs layers. A disadvantage was that growth rates were approximately half the values measured for regrowth on misoriented templates.