ORGANOALUMINUM, ORGANO-GALLIUM AND ORGANO-INDIUM COMPOUNDS AS PRECURSORS FOR SEMI-CONDUCTING THIN-LAYERS

The fabrication of III-V semiconductor thin films is receiving increas ing attention in view of their applications in electronic and optoelec tronic devices. These are produced by employing the chemical vapour de position (CVD), vapour phase epitaxy (VPE) and other related epitaxial techniques. The conventional precursors for III-V semiconductors are group III trialkyls (MR3, M = Al, Ga, In; R = alkyl or aryl) and group V hydrides (EH3, E = N, P, As, Sb). However, the pyrophoric nature of MR3 and toxic character of EH3 have prompted the development of newer intermolecular and intramolecular organometallic compounds for safer and convenient handling. Nonpyrophoric organometallic compounds of Al, Ga and In have been developed for suitable use with conventional as w ell as with new organic group V sources for safer application in metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) or vapour phase epitaxy (M OVPE) processes.