InGaAs epitaxial growth on InP substrates at low temperatures (below 560 de
grees C) was examined by low-pressure metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy usin
g TMIn, TEGa, and TBAs as growth precursors in a horizontal reactor. It was
not possible to grow InGaAs layer below 480 degrees C under usual growth c
onditions, and the limiting factor to lower the growth temperature in this
growth system is found to be the decomposition of TEGa in the presence of T
MIn. A new method in which InP dummy wafer is introduced upstream from the
substrate in the gas flow to decompose the TEGa is successfully applied to
obtain InGaAs epitaxial layers at lower growth temperatures. InGaAs layers
of good optical quality were grown even at 420 degrees C. No observable dif
ference in the amount of carbon than in the bulk substrate was found in the
InGaAs layer grown at 420 degrees C by second ion mass spectroscopy measur
ement. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.