Liquid Phase Epitaxy (LPE)

LPE Growth by precipitation from a supersaturated solvent liquid phase Advantages: Low temp process less vacancies Surface dissolution possible cleaning Purification due to segregation coefficient Deep level impurities are lower Solvents: Ga, Pb, Sn for GaAs Sn for Silicon Considerations: Purity Vapour pressure Reaction with crucible
1238C Temp L L+S Ga GaAs As L+S 818 L Temp L+S

Liquid Phase Epitaxy (LPE)

Process:
1. Substrate is kept slightly cooler than the liquid solution to prevent homogeneous nucleation 2. Liquid is lowered to get it supersaturated and heterogeneous nucleation on substrate takes place. 3. Or add some more solute to supersaturate An alternate method
Diffusion thru stagnant layer

Liquid
substrate

J = Flux of solute = D(Cs-Ce)/, where Cs and Ce are conc of solute in liquid and substrate R = growth rate = J/= D(Cs-Ce)/ R = DCe/ where = supersaturation =(Cs-Ce)/Ce

LPE Growth Systems

a) Sliding Boat Method
Slider can be moved. Source supplies the solute to supersaturate the solvent. Substrate is brought in contact with solvent and temp is slightly lowered when LPE layer grows on substrate. Slider

Substrate

Source

Solvent

b) Tilting Furnace Method

Furnace containing the substrate and the solvent is alternately tilted so that the substrate comes in contact with the solvent during growth phase only. Substrate
Solv ent

Tilt

LPE Growth Methods

a) Step Cooling Method
Temp Saturate solution at T1. Suddenly cool to T0 where T1-To ~5-20C Introduce substrate to grow LPE layer Gives 1) a layer of controlled thickness determined by supersaturation 2) low growth rate

T1 T0
saturate time supersaturation

b) Equillibrium Cooling Method

Obtain a saturated solution at T1 Introduce substrate Slowly cool down Gives 1) thicker layer 2) controlled growth rate 3) composition gradient Temp

T1

saturate time

supersaturation

LPE Growth
Etching :
Start with undersaturated solution and equillibrate Gettering of substrate by solution, eg. GaAs by Ga Clean surface of substrate obtained

Doping:
For p-type Cd, Zn, Ge in GaAs For n-type S,Se, Te, Sn in GaAs

Growth Imperfections:
1. Dopants like Si & Ge form inclusions and give spiral pattern 2. Facetting on (111) planes due to low surface energy 3. Turbulence in melt gives waves and ripples on the substrate layer