SBIR-STTR Award

Epitaxx proposes to merge the best aspects of hydride vapor phase epitaxy (VPE) and metalorganic cheical vapor deposition (MOCVD) into one technique to fabricate superior InGaAsP/InP detectors, lasers and LEDs. The hydride VPE techniques is a proven growth technique for InGaAs detectors and 1300 nm InGaAs lasers and LEDs. However, the equipment is usually built on a "laboratory" basis and has not included improvements incorporated into MOCVD systems sold by semiconductor equipment firms over the last ten years. These include superior gas handling for abrupt interfaces, better thickness/compositional control and 2" and 3" substrate capability. In Phase I Epitaxx will procure MOCVD wafers of In(.53)Ga(.47)As/InP from several research and commercial sources (including Emcore) and compare the junction abruptness, uniformity and purity with its own hydride VPE material. The wafers will then undergo detector fabrication in the same process and device results will be compared. A design for an optimized reactor will be included in the Phase II proposal. Phase II would involve construction of the reactor (which would include mocvd sources, 3" wafer capacity with + or - 5% uniformity, abrupt (<15A) interfaces) and demonstration of 1300 and 1550 nm lasers, pin detectors and InGaAs avalanche photodiodes. Prof. S. R. Forrest (USC) will consult

Epitaxx proposes to develop a unique merged hydride vapor phase epitaxy (VPE)/Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) growth method to fabricate thin (~10A) layers of InGaAsP alloys with abrupt interfaces for quantum well (QW), strained layer and superlattice semiconductor devices. We envision a cooperative effort with Ft. Monmouth whereby the constractor performs critical characterization (e.g. TEM, SIMS, X-Ray, PL) on our initial materials and fabricates high performance (f>100GHz) HEMTS from Epitaxx grown superlattice in (.49)Ga(.51)P/GaAs, In(.53)Ga(.47)As/InP AND STRAINED LAYER (In(y)P/In(x)Ga(1-x)As) Heterostructures with ~10A layers. Epitaxx in turn will deliver working visible (~6500A) InGaP/GaAsP QW lasers. A radically different reactor will be constructed which uses DEGaCl AND DEInCl gase (RATHER THAN In AND Ga METALS) In a hydride-type hot wall reactor to combine the best features of hydride VPE (HIGH GROWTH RATE, PROVEN InGaP DEVICES) AND MOCVD (ULTRATHIN LAYERS, ABRUPT INTERFACES). Only NEC labs has used these materials with success. Micro volume lines and abrupt gas switching should allow growth of ~10A layers. Novel dense packed 3-d vertical wall heterostructures for HEMTS and QW lasers will be made via plasma etching and downstream hcl will control etching, regrowth and composition.