Two-dimensional numerical calculation of solute diffusion in microchannel epitaxy of InP

To understand the vertical and the lateral growth mechanisms of microchanne l epitaxy (MCE) in detail, two-dimensional numerical calculation is carried out employing the different boundary conditions on the top and the side su rfaces of the MCE island. By solving a two-dimensional diffusion equation, a concentration profile of the solute is determined as a function of growth time. By calculating the lateral growth rate, the width-to-thickness ratio of the MCE island (W/T ratio) has been derived from the computation. The c alculated W/T ratio shows a good agreement in both cooling rate and growth temperature dependence with those obtained from the experiment when the gro wth temperature is above 500 degrees C. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.