Developments in metalorganic precursors for semiconductor growth from the vapour phase

Volatile metalorganic compounds are being increasingly used for the deposition of compound semiconductors from the vapour phase by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE) or chemical beam epitaxy (CBE), Developments in precursor chemistry, such as improved synthesis and purification techniques and the use of alternative precursors, have been central to the progress of MOVPE and CBE. In this paper some of these recent precursor developments are reviewed and the current thinking on gas-phase and surface mechanisms occurring in MOVPE and CBE is discussed.