Ionized-cluster beam epitaxial growth of GaP films on GaP and Si substrates

Epitaxial films of GaP on GaP and Si substrates are grown by the Ionized-Cluster Beam Technology. The doping of Zn and N during the growth of the film are also discussed. A p-type epitaxial film doped by Zn and N shows an absorption spectrum similar to that of a direct transition type semiconductor. P-n junction LEDs are fabricated by depositing p-type GaP on n-type substrate. The luminescence from the device was observed.     

The epitaxial growth of thick smooth films of ZnS on GaAs

The growth of smooth thick (80 μm) films of highly-ordered ZnS on GaAs substrates [oriented near the (100)] by open tube vapour transport in H₂:HCl gas flow has been investigated. We have found the surface features of the layers to be similar to those associated with GaAs epitaxy, particularly the “sand-dune” type of hillock. To obtain smooth layers, the substrates must be off the (100) plane, and precleaned in HCl acid. The most critical factor during growth was the HCl transport gas concentration (1.2-1.4%). We have investigated the influence of growth parameters on surface quality and Si contamination. The Si concentration in the films was found to be approximately directly proportional to the growth rate of the layers.     

Synthesis of epitaxial Y-type magnetoplumbite thin films by quick optimization with combinatorial pulsed laser deposition

Y-type magnetoplumbite (Ba₂Co₂Fe₁₂O₂₂:Co₂Y) epitaxial thin films with such a huge lattice parameter as 43.5 Å have been synthesized for the first time. Combinatorial thin film technology was successfully employed to eliminate an impurity phase in the film by quickly optimizing such reaction parameters as the deposition temperature and the thickness of pre-deposition of CoO layer. The coupling of combinatorial pulsed laser deposition and subsequent concurrent X-ray diffraction, both of which we have developed, is a promising way to high throughput optimization of thin film growth and properties.     

High rate epitaxial growth of ZnO films on sapphire by planar magnetron rf sputtering system

Single crystal films of (11$\text{2}$0)ZnO are obtained on (01$\text{1}$2) sapphire at a deposition rate of 2 μm/h at a substrate temperature of 210–260°C by using a planar magnetron type high rate and low substrate temperature rf sputtering system. The surface of the film is so smooth that it can be used as an optical waveguide without post-deposition treatment. However, the films so far obtained have considerably higher optical waveguide loss than that of chemically vapor deposited films on the same face of sapphire.     

CdTe thin films grown by hot wall epitaxy

The electrical properties of as-grown CdTe thin films deposited on BaF₂ substrates have been investigated. The electron mobilities seem to be the largest reported for CdTe thin films. The resistivities of the layers are sufficiently low to make them attractive for the fabrication of electrooptical devices.     

Ultra-high-vacuum in situ electron microscopy of growth processes of epitaxial thin films

Extracts from recent results of ultra-high-vacuum in-situ electron microscopy of growth processes of epitaxial thin films are given. As a modified monolayer-by-monolayer mode, the growth process in Fe/(111)Au of the initial Frank-van der Merwe type, followed by the intrinsic γ → α transformation of Fe is mentioned. For the nucleation and growth mode, a systematic selection of epitaxial orientation according to interfacial lattice fitting, nucleation and coalescence features, the validity of Cabrera's suggestion extending Frank and van der Merwe's idea, the cluster mobility and effects of grown-in dislocations in substrate crystals are discussed on the basis of the observations.     

Properties of Hg1‐xCdxTe epitaxial films grown on (211)CdTe and (211)CdZnTe

Hg_1‐xCd_xTe (MCT) epitaxial films have been grown employing single crystalline substrates of CdTe and Cd_0.96Zn_0.04Te with (211)Cd and (211)Te crystalline orientations. The Isothermal Vapor Phase Epitaxy (ISOVPE) technique without Hg overpressure has been used for the epitaxial growth. Substrates and films were characterized by optical microscopy, chemical etching and x ray diffraction (Laue technique). The electrical properties were determined by Hall effect measurements. The characterization results allowed to evaluate the crystalline quality of MCT films. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The dependence of the grain size of continuous epitaxial films on the growth conditions

A systematic investigation on the dependence of the grain size of continuous (after coalescence) PbTe films on the growth conditions is carried out. The films were deposited epitaxially on BaF₂ substrates. The practical applications of such a study are pointed out. Also we point out that this type of investigation of continuous films can contribute a body of experimental data that can be used to test theories on epitaxial nucleation and growth.     

Photostimulated changes of properties of CdTe films

The effect of illumination during the close‐spaced sublimation (CSS) growth on composition, structural, electrical, optical and photovoltaic properties of CdTe films and CdTe/CdS solar cells were investigated. Data on comparative study by using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), absorption spectra and conductivity‐temperature measurements of CdTe films prepared by CSS method in dark (CSSD) and under illumination (CSSI) were presented. It is shown that the growth rate and the grain size of CdTe films grown under illumination is higher (by factor about of 1.5 and 3 respectively) than those for films prepared without illumination. The energy band gap of CdTe films fabricated by both technology, determined from absorption spectra, is same (about of 1.50 eV), however conductivity of the CdTe films produced by CSSI is considerably greater (by factor of 10⁷) than that of films prepared by CSSD. The photovoltaic parameters of pCdTe/nCdS solar cells fabricated by photostimulated CSSI technology (J_sc = 28 mA/cm², V_oc =0.63 V) are considerably larger than those for cells prepared by CSSD method (J_sc = 22 mA/cm², V_oc = 0.52 V). A mechanism of photostimulated changes of properties of CdTe films and improvement of photovoltaic parameters of CdTe/CdS solar cells is suggested. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Optical and structural properties of epitaxial GaN films grown by pulsed laser deposition

Epitaxial GaN films have been grown on c-cut sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) using a KrF laser. The properties of GaN films were improved by increasing the growth temperature to 800°C and the nitrogen pressure during growth to 10 mTorr. Room-temperature photoluminescence exhibits a strong band-edge emission at 3.4 eV. From transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the predominant defects in PLD-GaN observed are stacking faults parallel to the interface and screw dislocations along c-axis, the latter differing from the previously published results where most of the threading dislocation in GaN grown by other techniques are of edge type with Burgers vector of .     

Optically monitoring and controlling epitaxial growth

We provide a perspective on current capabilities for optically monitoring and controlling epitaxial growth, and discuss examples taken from recent work at Bellcore.     

Suppression of growth domains in epitaxial ZnO films on structured (0001) sapphire surface

Zinc oxide layers have been grown by magnetron sputtering in an oxygen atmosphere on structured sapphire surfaces. The formation of ZnO islands oriented in two directions (the so-called domains) was observed on (0001) Al₂O₃ surfaces with steps spaced by a distance from several thousands to several tens of thousands of nanometers. The islands formed along steps on (0001) Al₂O₃ surfaces with an ordered terrace-step structure (and, subsequently, ZnO films) have only one orientation. Another method is proposed for suppressing domains during ZnO growth on (0001) Al₂O₃ d.     

Formation and properties of transition layers in epitaxial films

The current state of the problem of film-substrate transition layers in semiconductor epitaxial films is discussed. Reasons for the formation of a transition layer are considered: the influence of the substrate, the influence of the peculiarities of growth processes, and the influence of changes in the properties of the vapour phase over the growth surface. Estimates of the lattice mismatch, dislocation mobility, and impurity diffusion during growth are presented. The superimposition of size effects and the difference of estimates of a transition layer location according to data of electrophysical investigations are pointed out. Methods to remove transition layers are shown for cases of the homo- and heteroepitaxy of semiconductors.     

Bulk and epitaxial growth of silicon carbide

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a wide bandgap semiconductor having high critical electric field strength, making it especially attractive for high-power and high-temperature devices. Recent development of SiC devices relies on rapid progress in bulk and epitaxial growth technology of high-quality SiC crystals. At present, the standard technique for SiC bulk growth is the seeded sublimation method. In spite of difficulties in the growth at very high temperature above 2300 °C, 150-mm-diameter SiC wafers are currently produced. Through extensive growth simulation studies and minimizing thermal stress during sublimation growth, the dislocation density of SiC wafers has been reduced to 3000–5000 cm⁻² or lower. Homoepitaxial growth of SiC by chemical vapor deposition has shown remarkable progress, with polytype replication and wide range control of doping densities (10¹⁴–10¹⁹ cm⁻³) in both n- and p-type materials, which was achieved using step-flow growth and controlling the C/Si ratio, respectively. Types and structures of major extended and point defects in SiC epitaxial layers have been investigated, and basic phenomena of defect generation and reduction during SiC epitaxy have been clarified. In this paper, the fundamental aspects and technological developments involved in SiC bulk and homoepitaxial growth are reviewed.     

Electrical transport properties of CdTe:Sb films

Hall coefficient and dc conductivity measurements are made on p-type CdTe:Sb films grown by vacuum evaporation technique on glass substrate. The grain boundary potential barrier, which is found mainly to limit the mobility of carriers is calculated as a function of film thickness. The n-type conduction is found to dominate over p-type conduction above about 330 K. The ratio of electron to hole mobility is also calculated.     

RHEED monitoring of AlN epitaxial growth by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

We have studied the epitaxial growth of AlN layers by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on 6H–SiC substrate. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) was used to monitor the growth by the observation of the 2D–3D growth transition, respectively, in Al- and N-rich conditions. Special attention was given to the elimination of the Al droplets which often form in Al-rich conditions. Different growth procedures are proposed to avoid the appearance of these droplets while keeping a 2D growth. Each of the procedure gives AlN epilayers with identical crystalline quality and low surface roughness as measured, respectively, by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy.     

Vapor growth of CdTe laser window materials

Vapor deposition of CdTe from elemental cadmium and tellurium sources was studied as a function of the Cd/Te ratio, the supersaturation and the substrate temperature, in order to achieve optimum growth conditions for CdTe windows with low optical absorptivity in the infrared. A multisubstrate arrangement was designed to enable acquisition of growth data simultaneously on up to six specimens, each exposed to different growth conditions. Polycrystalline blanks up to 15 cm² × 2 mm thick were grown at rates of 0.02-1.5 mm/h with the growth rate exhibiting sensitivity to all of the above variables. Our results show that stoichiometry (as well as free carrier concentrations) can be controlled by adjustments in the Cd/Te ratio and/or the substrate temperature. Similarly, microstructural aspects (e.g., grain and void size) are shown to exhibit strong sensitivity to variations in growth conditions.