Atomic hydrogen cleaning of GaSb(001) surfaces

We show that the (001) surface of GaSb can be cleaned efficiently by exposure to atomic hydrogen at substrate temperatures in the range 400-470 degrees C. This treatment removes carbon and oxygen contamination, leaving a clean, ordered surface with a symmetric (1x3) reconstruction after a total H-2 dose of approximately 150 kL. An ordered but partially oxidized surface is generated during cleaning, and the removal of this residual oxide is the most difficult part of the process. Auger electron spectroscopy and low energy electron diffraction were used to monitor the chemical cleanliness and the ordering of the surface during the cleaning process, whereas high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy was used to probe the electronic structure in the near-surface region. The results obtained indicates that this cleaning procedure leaves no residual electronic damage in the near-surface region of the Te-doped (n similar to 5x10(17) cm(-3)) samples of GaSb(001) studied. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.