Computer modelling of selective area epitaxy with organometallics

Selective area epitaxy with organometallics (SAEOM) enjoys presently a wide interest. This is due to the capabilities that this technique offers in the area of optoelectronic device integration. Typically, SAEOM is used in conjunction with very thin ("quantum") layer structures to easily achieve controlled variations of the optical absorption edge along an integrated optical wave guide, leading to such integrated devices as, e.g., enhanced optical coupling laser, laser plus electro-absorption modulator, etc. This process is rather typical for organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE) and cannot be duplicated with other competitive techniques such as GSMBE or CBE. Computer modeling the epitaxial deposition process can be used in this context, both for pre-designing the process and for post checking its success. For such a tool to be more than a qualitative guide, it must be tailored carefully to suit the experimental conditions. It is the purpose of the present paper to show that indeed, and in spite of the process complexity, the predictions of the computer model can be in quantitative agreement with experiment. Its field of application is basically in the technology of InGaAsP optoelectronic devices.