A model for arsenic anti-site incorporation in GaAs grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy

Journal Article · Sun Dec 28 04:00:00 EST 2014 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4904745· OSTI ID:22399153

Schulte, K. L.; Kuech, T. F. ^[1]

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1. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)

GaAs growth by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) has regained interest as a potential route to low cost, high efficiency thin film photovoltaics. In order to attain the highest efficiencies, deep level defect incorporation in these materials must be understood and controlled. The arsenic anti-site defect, As{sub Ga} or EL2, is the predominant deep level defect in HVPE-grown GaAs. In the present study, the relationships between HVPE growth conditions and incorporation of EL2 in GaAs epilayers were determined. Epitaxial n-GaAs layers were grown under a wide range of deposition temperatures (T{sub D}) and gallium chloride partial pressures (P{sub GaCl}), and the EL2 concentration, [EL2], was determined by deep level transient spectroscopy. [EL2] agreed with equilibrium thermodynamic predictions in layers grown under conditions in which the growth rate, R{sub G}, was controlled by conditions near thermodynamic equilibrium. [EL2] fell below equilibrium levels when R{sub G} was controlled by surface kinetic processes, with the disparity increasing as R{sub G} decreased. The surface chemical composition during growth was determined to have a strong influence on EL2 incorporation. Under thermodynamically limited growth conditions, e.g., high T{sub D} and/or low P{sub GaCl}, the surface vacancy concentration was high and the bulk crystal was close to equilibrium with the vapor phase. Under kinetically limited growth conditions, e.g., low T{sub D} and/or high P{sub GaCl}, the surface attained a high GaCl coverage, blocking As adsorption. This competitive adsorption process reduced the growth rate and also limited the amount of arsenic that incorporated as As{sub Ga}. A defect incorporation model which accounted for the surface concentration of arsenic as a function of the growth conditions, was developed. This model was used to identify optimal growth parameters for the growth of thin films for photovoltaics, conditions in which a high growth rate and low [EL2] could be attained.

• OSTI ID: 22399153
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 24 Vol. 116; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ADSORPTION
ARSENIC
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CONCENTRATION RATIO
CRYSTALS
DEEP LEVEL TRANSIENT SPECTROSCOPY
DEPOSITION
EFFICIENCY
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM CHLORIDES
HYDRIDES
LAYERS
LTE
N-TYPE CONDUCTORS
PARTIAL PRESSURE
PHOTOVOLTAIC EFFECT
SURFACES
THIN FILMS
VACANCIES
VAPOR PHASE EPITAXY
VAPORS