X-Ray Diffraction Study of Inalas-Ingaas on Inp High Electron Mobility Transistor Structure Prepared by Molecular-Beam Epitaxy

Abstract

AbstractHigh-Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) can be prepared by growing alternating epitaxial layers of InAlAs and InGaAs on InP substrates. Lattice matched HEMTs are obtained by growing layers of InxAl(1-x)As and InyGa(1-y)As with x ≃ 0.5227 and y ≃ 0.5324. Varying the values of x and y by controlling the individual flux during molecular-beam epitaxial (MBE) growth, one can obtain pseudomorphic HEMTs. Pseudomorphic HEMTs may have superior electronic transport properties and larger conduction band discontinuity when compared to an unstrained one. The precise control of the composition is thus important to the properties of HEMTs. This control is however very difficult and the values of x and y may vary from run to run.We will demonstrate in this paper the capability of a double crystal rocking curve (DCRC) on the structure characterization. All the structure information: including composition and thickness of both the buffer and top InAlAs layers and the active channel InGaAs layer, can be obtained from one x-ray diffraction measurement. It is accomplished through a computer simulation process of DCRCs. The structure parameters of the epitaxial layers are used to calculate (simulate) the DCRCs. The simulated one is then to compare with the experimental curves. During the simulation one or more of these structure parameters are adjusted until the best fitted DCRC is obtained. The limitation of DCRC in measuring small variations in layer thickness as well as the small changes in composition for both InAlAs and InGaAs layers will be discussed.