Organometallic vapor phase epitaxial growth of high purity GaInAs using trimethylindium

Gax In1−xAs lattice matched to the InP substrate (x=0.47) has been grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy using trimethylindium (TMIn) and trimethylgallium (TMGa) as the group III sources and AsH3 as the As source. In a simple, horizontal, atmospheric pressure reactor, the GaInAs growth proceeds without visible evidence of parasitic prereaction problems. The process yields homogeneous, reproducible GaInAs with a high growth efficiency and a solid/vapor In distribution coefficient of nearly unity. Most importantly, several layers with room-temperature electron mobilities of approximately 10 000 cm2/Vs and carrier concentrations of approximately 1015 cm−3 have been produced. The 4-K photoluminescence shows a narrow (4-5 meV) band-edge emission peak and a low-intensity band acceptor peak at ~18 meV lower energy. Surface morphologies are routinely featureless as observed by high magnification interference contrast microscopy.