Experimental Investigation of GaAs Surface Oxidation

Abstract

Experimental observations of the surface oxide chemistry of GaAs are reported for various commonly used chemical surface preparations. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and ellipsometry were employed to obtain information regarding the stoichiometry, depth distribution, and oxide growth kinetics of thin surface oxides.Previous observations of the segregation in depth of Ga and As oxides are corroborated. Arsenic oxides tend to be found near the surface while Ga203 is found near the GaAs-oxide interface. The presence of elemental As was frequently detected at this interface, as well. Surfaces essentially free from oxide are shown to be produced by certain chemical treatments, and the state of the surface in the solution is inferred. It is shown that the GaAs surface oxide stoichiometry can undergo several changes in a short time when exposed to water and air. In addition, the characterization of the oxidation of GaAs by ozone in the presence of intense ultraviolet illumination is reported. The oxide primarily consists of Ga203 and exhibits an interesting growth kinetics: the thickness of the oxide proceeds at first linearly, then logarithmically, then parabolically. This behavior is explained in terms of various mechanisms which are dominant at different thicknesses of oxide.