Growth of high quality micrometer scale GaAs/Si crystals from (001) Si nano-areas in SiO2

• Published in: Journal of crystal growth 2014-09, Vol.401, p.554-558
• Main Authors: Renard, C., Cherkashin, N., Jaffre, A., Molière, T., Hallais, G., Vincent, L., Alvarez, J., Mencaraglia, D., Michel, A., Bouchier, D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: A1. Characterization; A1. Defects; A1. Nucleation; A3. Chemical beam epitaxy; A3. Selective epitaxy; B1. GaAs on Si; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Defects and impurities in crystals; microstructure; Equations of state, phase equilibria, and phase transitions; Exact sciences and technology; General studies of phase transitions; Linear defects: dislocations, disclinations; Materials science; Methods of crystal growth; physics of crystal growth; Nucleation; Physics; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Structure of specific crystalline solids; Theory and models of crystal growth; physics of crystal growth, crystal morphology and orientation
• ISSN: 0022-0248; 1873-5002
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2014.01.065

High quality micrometer scale GaAs crystals were grown by chemical beam epitaxy from nanoscale Si seeds on a 0.6nm thick SiO2 layer formed on Si(001). The use of small diameter openings is expected to lead to a dislocation-free relaxation and to the reduction of the antiphase defects. Thus, the so-formed GaAs crystals are found to be completely relaxed and antiphase boundaries free. The lateral epitaxy without misfit dislocation can evolve on the SiO2 layer that prevents the Si substrate from imposing its lattice parameter on the GaAs crystal. The effect of the growth temperature on the GaAs crystal materials quality was particularly studied by transmission electron microscopy and µ-Raman. •Perfectly integrated GaAs microcrystals on nominal Si(100) wafer were obtained.•No dislocation and no antiphase domain formation was found in GaAs microcrystals.•This technique is fully compatible with Si standard microelectronic as nominal Si(100) wafer was used.•Alternative for monolithic integration of GaAs-based devices with Si integrated circuits.