In-situ spectral reflectance for improving molecular beam epitaxy device growth

摘要

This report summarizes the development of in situ spectral reflectance as a tool for improving the quality, reproducibility, and yield of device structures grown from compound semiconductors. Although initially targeted at MBE (Molecular Beam Epitaxy) machines, equipment difficulties forced the authors to test most of their ideas on a MOCVD (Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition) reactor. A pre-growth control strategy using in situ reflectance has led to an unprecedented demonstration of process control on one of the most difficult device structures that can be grown with compound semiconductor materials. Hundreds of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL's) were grown with only (+-) 0.3% deviations in the Fabry-Perot cavity wavelength--a nearly ten-fold improvement over current calibration methods. The success of the ADVISOR (Analysis of Deposition using Virtual Interfaces and Spectroscopic Optical Reflectance) method has led to a great deal of interest from the commercial sector, including use by Hewlett Packard and Honeywell. The algorithms, software and reflectance design are being evaluated for patents and/or license agreements. A small company, Filmetrics, Inc., is incorporating the ADVISOR analysis method in its reflectometer product.