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In‐situ X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization of Si interlayer based surface passivation process for AlGaAs/GaAs quantum wire transistors
Author(s) -
Akazawa Masamichi,
Hasegawa Hideki,
Jia Rui
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
physica status solidi (a)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.532
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1862-6319
pISSN - 1862-6300
DOI - 10.1002/pssa.200674161
Subject(s) - passivation , x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , materials science , molecular beam epitaxy , optoelectronics , silicon , fermi level , annealing (glass) , epitaxy , analytical chemistry (journal) , layer (electronics) , nanotechnology , chemistry , metallurgy , chemical engineering , electron , physics , quantum mechanics , chromatography , engineering
Detailed properties of the Si interface control layer (Si ICL)‐based surface passivation structure are characterized by in‐situ X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) in an ultra‐high vacuum multi‐chamber system. Si ICLs were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on GaAs and AlGaAs(001) and (111)B surfaces, and were partially converted to SiN x by nitrogen radical beam. Freshly MBE‐grown clean GaAs and AlGaAs surfaces showed strong Fermi level pinning. Large shifts of the surface Fermi level position corresponding to reduction of pinning took place after Si ICL growth, particularly on (111)B surface (around 500 meV). However, subsequent surface nitridation increased pinning again. Then, a significant reduction of pinning was obtained by changing SiN x to silicon oxynitride by intentional air‐exposure and subsequent annealing. This has led to realization of a stable passivation structure with an ultrathin oxynitride/Si ICL structure which prevented subcutaneous oxidation during further device processing under air‐exposure. The Si‐ICL‐based passivation process was applied to surface passivation of quantum wire (QWR) transistors where anomalously large side‐gating phenomenon was completely eliminated. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)