Plasma/radiator assisted molecular beam epitaxy method and apparatus

摘要

A molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth method and apparatus is disclosed which achieves a significantly improved sticking coefficient for materials like Hg upon a substrate, and thus a higher efficiency. A highly ionized, low pressure plasma is formed consisting of a mixture of ions of one substance of a compound to be epitaxially grown, neutral particles of the substance and electrons, and also preferably both ionization and excitation radiation. The plasma is directed onto a substrate (20) together with a flux of the other substance in the compound; the flux can be in the form of either a vapor, or a second plasma. Radiation assisted epitaxial growth for Hg compounds in which ionization and excitation radiation are formed from Hg vapor and used to assist epitaxial growth with neutral Hg particles is also described. The plasma is formed in a special discharge chamber (8) having a hollow cathode (14) with an emissive-mix-free cathode insert. The source is preferably a refractory metal such as rolled tantalum foil, which is substantially emissive-material-free and does not contaminate the plasma. Good results are obtained by allowing the plasma to simply diffuse out through an exit port (18) in the discharge chamber (8), without special extraction assemblies required by prior ion thrusters. Hg sticking coefficients have been improved by a factor of 40 or more.