Improved electronic properties of As-based III-V compound semiconductor surface stabilized with phosphorus

摘要

A passivation procedure of As-based III-V compound semiconductors (GaAs and In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As) based on thermal treatments in a phosphine overpressure is discussed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements show that the treatment leads to the formation, by an As-P exchange reaction, of a thin phosphide overlayer that prevents the oxidation of the As-based III-V compound surface when the sample is exposed to air. The treatment results in a significant increase of the photoluminescence emitted by the samples.