Growth of p type group iii-v compound semiconductor on group iv

Abstract

`Unintentionally` doped P type GaAs is grown on silicon by a metal organic chemical vapor deposition process in which the molecular ratio of arsenic to gallium in the growth ambient is reduced to a value that is sufficiently low to cause the creation of donor (As) site vacancies in the grown GaAs layer, which become occupied by acceptor (carbon) atoms in the metal organic compound, thereby resulting in the formation of a buffer GaAs layer having a P type majority carrier characteristic. Preferably, the silicon substrate has its growth surface inclined from the [100] plane toward the [011] direction is initially subjected to an MOCVD process (e.g. trimethyl gallium, arsine chemical vapor deposition) at a reduced temperature (e.g. 425.degree. C.) and at atmospheric pressure, to form a thin (400 Angstroms) nucleation layer. During this growth step the Group V/Group III mole ratio (of arsenic to gallium) is maintained at an intermediate value. The temperature is then ramped to 630.degree. C. and gas content adjusted to reduce the V/III mole ratio to a value less than 5.0, so as to grow a buffer layer of GaAs is grown on the nucleation layer. Because the molecular ratio of arsenic to gallium in the metal organic/arsine ambient is at a substantially reduced value, the resulting GaAs buffer layer tends to be depleted of arsenic atoms at numerous crystal sites, which allows for the substitution of acceptor (carbon) atoms from the metal organic compound, so that the buffer GaAs layer is P type.