Surface passivation of III-V compound semiconductors

Abstract

Passivation of GaAs and InP surfaces have been accomplished using both wet and dry techniques. The wet techniques include ammonium sulfide based solutions, whereas the dry techniques involve the use H/sub 2/ and H/sub 2/S plasmas. These treatments, followed by the deposition of ECR-PECVD silicon nitride, result in significant reduction in the SiN/GaAs (InP) interfacial defect density. The technique is also used for passivating surface-sensitive devices, such as AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors.