Deposition of indium antimonide films by metalorganic magnetron sputtering

Abstract

A new technique, metalorganic magnetron sputtering (MOMS), has been developed for the deposition of compound semiconductors. In particular, results are reported on the deposition of the III-V semiconductor indium antimonide from a high-purity antimony target and trimethylindium (TMI) vapor using rf magnetron sputtering. The indium/antimony ratio of the films is found to depend linearly on the trimethylindium flow rate and the indium/argon emission peak ratio of the plasma. The stoichiometry of the layers is controlled by changing either the TMI flow or the sputter power. InSb layers can be deposited at temperatures considerably below the thermal decomposition temperature of TMI. Auger analysis shows up to 10% carbon incorporation occurs for films deposited at room temperature, but this is reduced below the level of detection for substrate temperatures >190 °C.