Surface passivation of (100) InP by organic thiols and polyimide as characterized by steady-state photoluminescence

A method for the passivation of indium phosphide, based on thiolated organic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) that form highly ordered, close-packed structures on the semiconductor surface, is presented. It is shown that the intensity of steady-state photoluminescence (PL) of n-type InP wafers covered with the thiolated SAMS increases significantly (as much as 14-fold) upon their covering with the monolayers. The ease with which one can tailor the outer functional groups of the SAMS provides a way to connect this new class of passivators with standard encapsulators, such as polyimide. Indeed, the PL intensity of SAM-coated InP wafers was not altered upon their overcoating with polyimide, despite the high curing temperature of the polymer (200 degreesC).