Structural properties of As-rich GaAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy at low temperatures

Abstract

GaAs layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) at substrate temperatures between 200 and 300 °C were studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray diffraction, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques. High-resolution TEM cross-sectional images showed a high degree of crystalline perfection of these layers. For a layer grown at 200 °C and unannealed, x-ray diffraction revealed a 0.1% increase in the lattice parameter in comparison with bulk GaAs. For the same layer, EPR detected arsenic antisite defects with a concentration as high as 5×1018 cm−3. This is the first observation of antisite defects in MBE-grown GaAs. These results are related to off-stoichiometric, strongly As-rich growth, possible only at such low temperatures. These findings are of relevance to the specific electrical properties of low-temperature MBE-grown GaAs layers.