Surface treatment by Ar plasma irradiation in electron cyclotron resonancechemical vapor deposition

To reduce the surface states of Galls and related semiconductors which orig inate from native oxides on a surface, we developed a simple surface treatm ent method in which the surface oxides could be physically sputtered by Ar plasma irradiation in an electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposi tion (ECR-CVD) apparatus. In the experiment of Ar irradiation of a GaAs sur face, we were able to determine the optimum irradiation time at which the n ative-oxide-related surface states were almost removed without damaging the irradiated surface. Then, we applied this method to an actual 0.98-mu m se miconductor laser in which catastrophic optical damage (COD) failure occurr ed due to the surface states of the output facet. By irradiating Ar plasma to the output facet of the laser and removing the oxide-related surface sta tes there, tolerance to COD was remarkably improved compared with that of a conventional non-Ar-irradiated one.