Topography of epitaxial GaAs surfaces for growth

Published

April 30, 2009

Author(s)

Susan Y. Lehman, Alexana Roshko, Richard Mirin, Kristine A. Bertness, Todd E. Harvey, Keith D. Cobry

Abstract

The topography and surface roughness of (100) GaAs substrates and buffers after different preparation procedures were determined from atomic force microscopy measurements. The influence of substrate aging and chemical etching on buffers grown by molecular beam epitaxy was studied as was the effect of different buffer growth procedures. After thermal desorption of the surface oxide, wafers etched in HCl:H₂O (1:1) were smother than as received, epi-ready wafers, while wafers etched in H₂O₂:NH₄OH:H₂O (3:1:10) were rougher. After as little as 100 nm of buffer growth, there was no significant difference in the roughness on etched or as received substrates. The buffer growth conditions were found to be important to surface roughness. Using a pulsed growth at high temperatures enhanced mounding on the wafer surface, while post-growth annealing at the growth temperature reduced the surface roughness.

Citation

Journal of Crystal Growth

Volume

27

Issue

3

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

annealing, etching, gallium arsenide, growth, molecular beam epitaxy, roughness, substrae, topography

Citation

Lehman, S. , Roshko, A. , Mirin, R. , Bertness, K. , Harvey, T. and Cobry, K. (2009), Topography of epitaxial GaAs surfaces for growth, Journal of Crystal Growth, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=32762 (Accessed October 11, 2025)