Recent advances in MOCVD process technology for the growth of compound semiconductor devices

Abstract

This paper gives an overview of the current state of the technology of metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE), which has established itself as the method of choice for the mass production of (opto)electronic semiconductor devices. The use of in situ reflectometry and emissivity corrected surface temperature measurement for the improvement of process yield is covered as well as recent advances in the growth on larger wafers. Employing novel methods of ex situ characterization to assess the bow of the sapphire wafer during growth, we achieved blue-emitting multi-quantum well (MQW) structures on 4 inch substrates with 1.3 nm standard deviation of the wavelength. It is shown that the thickness of the substrate as well as the off-cut of the sapphire surface must be taken into account and correctly matched.