Treatment and aging studies of GaAs(111)B substrates for van der Waals chalcogenide film growth

Mingyu Yu, Jiayang Wang, Sahani A. Iddawela, Molly McDonough, Jessica L. Thompson, Susan B. Sinnott, Danielle Reifsnyder Hickey, Stephanie Law

Research output: Contribution to journalComment/debatepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

GaAs(111)B are commercially available substrates widely used for the growth of van der Waals chalcogenide films. Wafer-scale, high-quality crystalline films can be deposited on GaAs(111)B substrates using molecular beam epitaxy. However, two obstacles persist in the use of GaAs(111)B: first, the surface dangling bonds make it challenging for the growth of van der Waals materials; second, the As-terminated surface is prone to aging in air. This study investigated a thermal treatment method for deoxidizing GaAs(111)B substrates while simultaneously passivating the surface dangling bonds with Se. By optimizing the treatment parameters, we obtained a flat and completely deoxidized platform for subsequent film growth, with highly reproducible operations. Furthermore, through first-principle calculations, we find that the most energetically favorable surface of GaAs(111)B after Se passivation consists of 25% As atoms and 75% Se atoms. Finally, we discovered that the common storage method using food-grade vacuum packaging cannot completely prevent substrate aging, and even after thermal treatment, aging still affects subsequent growth. Therefore, we recommend using N2-purged containers for better preservation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number033201
JournalJournal of Vacuum Science and Technology B
Volume42
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1 2024

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Instrumentation
  • Process Chemistry and Technology
  • Surfaces, Coatings and Films
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • Materials Chemistry

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