Structural analysis of annealed Al/n-InP(100) interfaces: Different types of indium heteroepitaxial growth on InP(111)A and InP(111)B planes

Al/n-InP(100) structures, prepared as Schottky contacts, are provided by Al thermal evaporation at 28 degrees C and subsequent annealing in the range of 200-750 degrees C for 3 min. Annealing at temperatures above 500 degrees C causes the formation of metallic indium at the interfaces. The orientation relationship between In and the substrate is revealed by x-ray diffraction texture analysis. For samples annealed below the melting point of Al (660.1 degrees C), an epitaxy is formed with In(101)parallel to InP(111)A and In[010]parallel to InP[(1) over bar 10]. For samples annealed at temperatures above the melting point of Al, the same epitaxy occurs besides two further epitaxies of indium growing on InP(111)B planes. Their orientation relationships are In(001)parallel to InP(111)B and In[010]parallel to InP[(1) over bar 10] and, for the second type, In(110)parallel to InP(111)B and In[(1) over bar 13]parallel to InP[(1) over bar 10]. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(98)01514-X]