GaP(100) and InP(100) surface structures during preparation in a nitrogen ambient

• Published in: Journal of crystal growth Vol. 318; no. 1; pp. 372 - 378
• Main Authors: Döscher, Henning, Möller, Kristof, Hannappel, Thomas
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-03-2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: A1. In situ monitoring; A1. Reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy; A1. Surface reconstruction; A3. Alternative process gas; Anisotropy; B1. Gallium phosphide; B1. Indium phosphide; Carriers; Cations; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Crystalline state (including molecular motions in solids); Electron diffraction and scattering; Electronic structure; Exact sciences and technology; Low-energy electron diffraction (leed) and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (rheed); Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Phase diagrams; Phase diagrams and microstructures developed by solidification and solid-solid phase transformations; Phase diagrams of metals and alloys; Physics; Reconstruction; Reflectance; Spectra; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Theory of crystal structure, crystal symmetry; calculations and modeling; Vapor phase epitaxy; growth from vapor phase; A1. In situ monitoring; A3. Alternative process gas; B1. Gallium phosphide; A1. Reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy; A1. Surface reconstruction; B1. Indium phosphide; Phase diagrams; Total energy; Surface treatments; VPE; Indium phosphide; High vacuum; Surface structure; Surface reconstruction; Reflection spectrum; Symmetry property; Theoretical study; Gallium phosphide; III-V compound; Reflectivity; Experimental result; Electronic structure; Anisotropy; MOVPE method; LEED; III-V semiconductors
• ISSN: 0022-0248; 1873-5002
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2010.10.132

Employing either nitrogen or hydrogen as carrier gas, the preparation of GaP and InP (100) surfaces by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) was monitored in situ by reflectance anisotropy/difference spectroscopy (RAS/RDS). The development of the characteristic surface reconstructions differed significantly dependent on the MOVPE ambient, N2 vs. H2. In addition to specifically ordered, well-established P-/H-terminated and cation-terminated surface reconstructions, intermediate surface phases were identified by characteristic RA spectra, when preparing GaP(100) in N2. In contrast, InP(100) showed very similar surface signals independent of the utilized MOVPE process gas. The experimental results were compared with the established surface phase diagrams obtained from first-principles total-energy and electronic structure calculations. For verification of the surface symmetry attributed to the different characteristic in situ RA spectra, the findings were benchmarked with low energy electron diffraction measurements after contamination-free transfer of the samples to ultra-high vacuum.