THE INFLUENCE OF THE INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED HYDROGEN PLASMA ON THE GAAS SURFACE-PROPERTIES

Properties of the high-doped GaAs crystalline surface regions exposed to the inductively coupled hydrogen plasma were investigated by photol uminescence, photoreflectance and X-ray diffraction (at grazing incide nce) methods. The main results obtained lead to the conclusion that be sides the apparent passivation effect the initial photoluminescence sp ectrum was totally transformed during the advanced stage of the hydrog enation process. We suppose that the defect complex corresponding to t he similar to 1.0 eV transition was transformed during the hydrogenati on to another one with the 1.23 eV broad emission band. The rise of th e new photoluminescence maximum at 1.44 eV and the extinction of that at 1.49 eV were observed, The X-ray measurements indicate that the thi n outermost surface layer with the typical polycrystalline structure w as also transformed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.