A FUNDAMENTAL STUDY OF EPITAXY BY FLASH EVAPORATION

A study was made of the conditions under which films of III-V compounds can be evaporated and deposited stoichiometrically onto a number of substrates. The crystalline nature and crystal quality of films of seven of the III-V compounds deposited onto Ge, CaF2, and GaAs substrates were studied with reference to changes in such parameters as evaporator and substrate temperature, lattice mismatch with substrate, and substrate orientation. Conditions were determined for the preparation of epitaxial films. Films of mixed semiconductor systems can be deposited by the flash evaporation of mixed powders. This process offers a rapid method of studying solid solution formation in such mixed crystal systems. The systems Ge:GaP and GaAs:GaP were studied in this manner and show complete solid solubility throughout the composition range. A detailed study, using electron diffraction techniques, was made of orientation and turning effects in deposited GaAs films. A study was undertaken to determine more fully the nature of the solid solubility in mixed crystal systems of the III-V compounds. The miscibility between compounds formed from the constituents, Ga, In, P, As, Sb, was studied. (Author)