Anti-phase domain-free growth of GaAs on offcut (001) Ge wafers by molecular beam epitaxy with suppressed Ge outdiffusion

The nucleation and growth of GaAs films on offcut (001) Ge wafers by solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is investigated, with the objective of establishing nucleation conditions which reproducibly yield GaAs films which are free of antiphase domains (APDs) and which have suppressed Ge outdiffusion into the GaAs layer. The nucleation process is monitored by in-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy. Several nucleation variables are studied, including the state of the initial Ge surface (single-domain 2×1 or mixed-domain 2×1:1×2), the initial prelayer (As, Ga, or mixed), and the initial GaAs growth temperature (350 or 500°C). Conditions are identified which simultaneously produce APD-free GaAs layers several microns in thickness on Ge wafers with undetectable Ge outdiffusion and with surface roughness equivalent to that of GaAs/GaAs homoepitaxy. APD-free material is obtained using either As or Ga nucleation layers, with the GaAs domain dependent upon the initial exposure chemical species. Key growth steps for APD-free GaAs/Ge growth by solid source MBE include an epitaxial Ge buffer deposited in the MBE chamber to bury carbon contamination from the underlying Ge wafer, an anneal of the Ge buffer at 640°C to generate a predominantly double atomic-height stepped surface, and nucleation of GaAs growth by a ten monolayer migration enhanced epitaxy step initiated with either pure As or Ga. We identify this last step as being responsible for blocking Ge outdiffusion to below 1015 cm−3 within 0.5 microns of the GaAs/Ge interface.