INSITU AUGER-ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY OF CARBON TRANSIENT-BEHAVIOR ON GAAS-SURFACES EXPOSED TO TRIMETHYLGALLIUM

Surface species and its transient behavior on GaAs surfaces exposed to trimethylgallium (TMGa) have been observed directly by in situ Auger electron spectroscopy under the condition where the self-limiting growth of GaAs takes place by chemical beam epitaxy (CBE). After exposure to TMGa, the initial carbon (C) intensity related to alkyls originating from TMGa exponentially decreases with a large time constant (105 s, at 490-degrees-C), eventually reaching a steady state. The dynamic transient of surface reconstruction during this desorption process of the alkyls was observed by reflection high-energy electron diffraction. A modified atomic layer epitaxy growth showed that self-limiting growth occurs on the steady state surface.