IN-SITU PROCESS FOR ALGAAS COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTOR - MATERIALS SCIENCE AND DEVICE FABRICATION

Processing of III-V compound semiconductor devices in an ultra-high vacuum or a controlled environment has received much attention during the past few years. Major advantages of in-situ processing include the preservation of pristine material surface, improved device performance, and fabrication of novel devices. This paper reviews an in-situ process compatible with molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) with emphasis on the removal of oxides and surface contaminants from air-exposed GaAs and AlGaAs. We have characterized deep-etched and MBE regrown AlGaAs with the etching achieved using electron cyclotron resonance plasma treatment. A buried heterostructure vertical-cavity surface emitting laser diode fabricated using this in-situ process is presented.