Thermal oxidation of III-V compound semiconductors

Technical Report · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6550439

Neto, O R.M.

Thermal oxidation of III-V compound semiconductors has been studied in the temperature range of 300/degree/C to 600/degree/C. Two members of this class of materials, namely InP and GaAs, were the object of the experimental work carried out here. The main analytical tools used were transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). TEM was employed to access microstructural changes and SIMS to access the composition redistribution that takes place as a consequence of the oxidation reaction. Below 400/degree/C oxidation of both materials led to the formation of amorphous scales, which consisted of a mixture of gallium and arsenic oxides in the case of GaAs, and indium phosphate and oxide in the case of InP. The oxidation kinetics of InP was found to be slower than that of GaAs. In the high temperature regime, i.e., above 400/degree/C, the oxidation of both materials resulted in crystalline products. Precipitation of the group V element at the scale/semiconductor interface took place during oxidation. At the GaAs/Ga/sub 2/O/sub 3/interface, As precipitates were formed with a truncated square pyramid shape bound by /l brace/111/r brace//sub GaAs/ planes. The precipitates found at the InPO/sub 4//InP interface were either a phosphorus rich phase or red phosphorus. Strong vaporization under the electron beam prohibited a more accurate determination. The morphology of those precipitates were very similar to the As ones in GaAs. 83 refs., 48 figs., 6 tabs.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6550439
• Report Number(s): LBL-26337; ON: DE89007127
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360604* -- Materials-- Corrosion
Erosion
& Degradation
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CRYSTAL DOPING
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
INDIUM PHOSPHIDES
MATERIALS
MICROSCOPY
OXIDATION
PHOSPHIDES
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PNICTIDES
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY