Influence of SiO2 protective films on the diffusion of atomic hydrogen during the hydrogenation of epitaxial n-GaAs

The surface relief of SiO2 films and the influence of these films on the in -diffusion of atomic hydrogen in a semiconductor in the course of hydrogena tion were investigated by atomic-force microscopy and scanning tunneling mi croscopy. The mesostructures appearing as a corrugation on the semiconducto r surface are shown to be formed during the deposition of the SiO2 film. Th is fact causes an increase in the amount of hydrogen penetrating into a sem iconductor in the course of hydrogenation. The deposition of the dielectric film on the n-GaAs surface results in its reconstruction consisting in for ming a quasi-periodic relief. The treatment of the n-GaAs surface covered w ith the SiO2 protective film in atomic hydrogen modifies the surface relief of the epitaxial layer. (C) 2000 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".