Effects of organic As-precursors on the incorporation of In and Ga into (GaIn)As films grown by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy

We present a detailed study of the incorporation of gallium and indium into (GaIn)As grown by low-pressure metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) u sing the group-V precursors arsine (AsH3), tertiarybutylarsine (TBAs) and d iethyltertiarybutylarsine (DEtBAs). We have grown strain-compensated multil ayer structures of (GaIn)As layers alternately with AsH3 and one of the org anic sources DEtBAs and TBAs, In order to clarify the origin of the changed solid composition using organic sources, we analyzed X-ray diffraction dat a by dividing each (GaIn)As layer into a GaAs sublayer and an InAs sublayer . Comparing simulated and measured X-ray diffraction spectra, we find that the use of organic precursors in MOVPE growth increases the In incorporatio n rate by increasing the InAs growth rate. This effect is even higher for D EtBAs than for TBAs. An As-source-dependent supply of active hydrogen, cont rolling the In incorporation, as well as vapor phase processes and surface reactions are discussed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved .