Interfacial layers of InP/Si heteroepitaxy

Abstract In the heteroepitaxial growth of InP on Si by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy, the structural properties of the interfacial layers were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy and Rutherford back-scattering spectrometry. The interfacial layers consisting of the first GaAs buffer layer (≈ 15 nm thick) and the second InP buffer layer (≈ 15 nm thick) grown at low temperatures (430–550°C) play a significant role as buffer layers to alleviate the large lattice mismatch of 8% between InP and Si. We have found that better crystallinity of InP device layers could be obtained by depositing the InP buffer layer on a slightly migrated GaAs buffer layer than on an as-grown GaAs buffer layer.