PULSED ANODIC OXIDES FOR III-V SEMICONDUCTOR-DEVICE FABRICATION

A simple procedure for the rapid formation of uniform native oxides on various III-V semiconductor materials is described. A pulsed applied potential drives an anodic oxide formation process on the semiconducto r immersed in a glycol:water:acid solution. Uniform oxides up to 2000 angstrom thick can be grown in a few minutes at room temperature and u sed to define areas for current injection into the semiconductor. AlGa As diode lasers fabricated with 50-mum-wide current stripes defined by pulsed anodic oxide had threshold current densities substantially low er than lasers fabricated with 50-mum-wide stripes defined by chemical -vapor-deposited SiO2.