Epitaxial growth and processing of InP films in a ''novel'' remote plasma-MOCVD apparatus

A new remote plasma MOCVD apparatus for the treatment and deposition of III-V materials and, specifically, of indium phosphide, has been developed. The plasma source is used to produce hydrogen atoms and to predissociate phosphine for, respectively, the reduction of native oxide on InP substrate surface and the InP deposition. In situ diagnostics by optical emission spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and spectroscopic ellipsometry are used to fingerprint the gas phase and the growth surface. The plasma cleaning process effectively reduce the InP oxide layer without surface damage. Indium phosphide epilayers deposited from trimethylindium and plasma activated PH3 show singular photoluminescence spectra with signal intensity higher than that of the best InP film deposited under conventional MOCVD condition (without PH3 plasma preactivation).