Real-time optical control of Ga1−xInxP film growth by<i>p</i>-polarized reflectance

Abstract

The engineering of advanced optoelectronic integrated circuits implies the stringent control of thickness and composition. These demands led to the development of surface-sensitive real-time optical sensors that are able to move the control point close to the point where the growth occurs, which in a chemical beam epitaxy process is the surface reaction layer, built up of physisorbed and chemisorbed precursor fragments between the ambient and film interface. In this context, we explored the application of p-polarized reflectance spectroscopy (PRS) for real-time monitoring and control of pulsed chemical beam epitaxy during low-temperature growth of epitaxial Ga1−xInxP heterostructures on Si(001) substrates. A reduced order surface kinetics model has been developed to describe the decomposition and growth kinetics of the involved organometallic precursors and their incorporation in the film deposition. We demonstrate the linkage of the PRS response towards the surface reaction chemistry, composition, film growth rate, and film properties. Mathematical control algorithms are applied that link the PR signals to the growth process control parameters to control the composition and growth rate of epitaxial Ga1−xInxP heterostructures.