Crystals (Aug 2024)

High-Quality Single-Step Growth of GaAs on C-Plane Sapphire by Molecular Beam

  • Emmanuel Wangila,
  • Calbi Gunder,
  • Mohammad Zamani-Alavijeh,
  • Fernando Maia de Oliveira,
  • Serhii Kryvyi,
  • Aida Sheibani,
  • Yuriy I. Mazur,
  • Shui-Qing Yu,
  • Gregory J. Salamo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14080724
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 8
p. 724

Abstract

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We report on the growth of high-quality GaAs semiconductor materials on an AlAs/sapphire substrate by molecular beam epitaxy. The growth of GaAs on sapphire centers on a new single-step growth technique that produces higher-quality material than a previously reported multi-step growth method. Omega-2theta scans confirmed the GaAs (111) orientation. Samples grown at 700 °C displayed the highest crystal quality with minimal defects and strain, evidenced by narrow FWHM values of the rocking curve. By varying the As/Ga flux ratio and the growth temperature, we significantly improved the quality of the GaAs layer on sapphire, as compared to that obtained in multi-step studies. Photoluminescence measurements at room temperature and 77 K further support these findings. This study underscores the critical role of the As/Ga flux ratio and growth temperature in optimizing GaAs epitaxial growth on sapphire.

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