FABRICATION PROCESS AND PROPERTIES OF INGAAS WIRES HAVING SI INTERFACE CONTROL LAYERS FOR REMOVAL OF FERMI LEVEL PINNING

Removal of surface Fermi level pinning is a crucial issue for successful realization of compound semiconductor quantum-effect devices. The purpose of this paper is to establish a process to fabricate InGaAs wires by selective MBE and to investigate the capability of an ultrathin Si interface control layer (ICL) on the wires in removing the surface Fermi level pinning. In0.53Ga0.47As wire structures with or without InAlAs buffer layers were fabricated for the first time by a selective MBE growth on corrugated InP surfaces formed by laser interference lithography. Then, the wire structures were covered with the Si ICL and a thick SiO2 overlayer. For comparison, InAlAs/InGaAs/InAlAs wire structures were also prepared. The structures were characterized by SEM, C-V and photoluminescence techniques. Optimum conditions for wire formations are established. It is shown that the Si ICL technique is useful and promising for removal of the Fermi level pinning in InGaAs quantum structures.