Scanning force microscopy measurement of edge growth rate enhancement in selective area epitaxy

• Published in: Applied physics letters Vol. 62; no. 5; pp. 496 - 498
• Main Authors: COTTA, M. A, HAMM, R. A, STALEY, T. W, YADVISH, R. D, HARRIOTT, L. R, TEMKIN, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melville, NY American Institute of Physics 1993
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Decomposition; Epitaxial growth; Exact sciences and technology; Mass transfer; Microscopic examination; Molecular beam epitaxy; Organometallics; Physics; Reaction kinetics; Semiconducting films; Solid surfaces and solid-solid interfaces; Surface and interface dynamics and vibrations; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology; Atomic force microscopy; Gallium Indium Arsenides Mixed; Semiconductor materials; Indium Phosphides; Epitaxy; Organometallic compound; Operating mode; Silicon IV Oxides; Experimental study; X ray diffraction; Surface treatment; Inorganic compound; Thin film; Growth from vapor; Selective growth; Molecular beam condensation; Mismatch lattice; Growth mechanism; Kinetics
• ISSN: 0003-6951; 1077-3118
• DOI: 10.1063/1.108890

Using scanning force microscopy, the authors studied the growth rate enhancement at the edge of InP and lattice matched InGaAs layers grown into openings on SiO sub(2)-masked InP substrates by selective area epitaxy. The growth method was metal-organic molecular beam epitaxy. The growth rates were measured at the center and at the edge of the openings using a scanning force microscope. It was found that the growth rate enhancement can be minimized by using lower metal-organic and hydride flows, and that diffusion is the dominant process at work in the formation of the edge. The migration length of the species depends on the rate of arrival of the precursor molecules at the substrate, which is determined by the absolute group III and V flows, and not on the nominal V/III ratio used for the growth.