Surfaces and interfaces governing the OMVPE growth of APD-free GaP on AsH3-cleaned vicinal Si(100)

• Published in: Journal of crystal growth Vol. 452; pp. 235 - 239
• Main Authors: McMahon, William E., Warren, Emily L., Kibbler, Alan E., France, Ryan M., Norman, Andrew G., Reedy, Robert C., Olson, Jerry M., Tamboli, Adele C., Stradins, Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier B.V 15.10.2016; Elsevier
• Subjects: A1. Nucleation; A1. Surface structure; A3. Organometallic vapor phase epitaxy; B2. Semiconducting III–V materials; B2. Semiconducting silicon; B3. Solar cells; MATERIALS SCIENCE; nucleation; organometallic vapor phase epitaxy; semiconducting III-V materials; semiconducting silicon; solar cells; SOLAR ENERGY; surface structure; A1. Nucleation; A3. Organometallic vapor phase epitaxy; B3. Solar cells; B2. Semiconducting III–V materials; A1. Surface structure; B2. Semiconducting silicon
• ISSN: 0022-0248; 1873-5002
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2016.05.014

Direct growth of GaP on Si enables the integration of III–V and Si optoelectronic devices for a wide variety of applications, and has therefore been the subject of much research for many decades. Most of this effort has been directed toward overcoming the two main technical challenges: 1) removing atmospheric oxygen and carbon contamination and 2) establishing the conditions needed for “APD-free” III–V epitaxy (i.e., without antiphase domains). We have developed an OMVPE process for APD-free GaP growth on Si which overcomes both challenges by using AsH3 to clean and prepare the Si surface in situ at a relatively low temperature. This process is based upon a very brief “AsH3-cleaning” step which simultaneously removes atmospheric contamination (thereby eliminating the need for Si regrowth) and creates a single-domain As-terminated Si surface. Here we discuss the key process steps using results from a suite of analysis tools. •APD-free GaP was grown on vicinal Si(100) using an AsH3 exposure prior to GaP nucleation.•The AsH3 exposure creates an As-terminated, double-stepped, single-domain As/Si 1×2 surface.•The GaP epilayer continues the {Si, V, Ga, P} stacking sequence established by the As/Si surface.•Process details which might affect the quality of the resulting GaP epilayer are discussed.