Metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy

Metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE), also known as organometallic vapour phase epitaxy (OMVPE) or metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD), is a chemical vapour deposition method of epitaxial growth of materials, especially compound semiconductors, from the surface reaction of organic compounds or metalorganics and metal hydrides containing the required chemical elements. For example, indium phosphide could be grown in a reactor on a substrate by introducing Trimethylindium ((CH3)3In) and phosphine (PH3). Formation of the epitaxial layer occurs by final pyrolysis of the constituent chemicals at the substrate surface. In contrast to molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) the growth of crystals is by chemical reaction and not physical deposition. This takes place not in a vacuum, but from the gas phase at moderate pressures (2 to 100 kPa). As such, this technique is preferred for the formation of devices incorporating thermodynamically metastable alloys, and it has become a major process in the manufacture of optoelectronics.

Contents

Reactor components

Organometallic precursors

Semiconductors grown by MOVPE

III-V semiconductors

II-VI semiconductors

IV Semiconductors

IV-V-VI Semiconductors

Environment, Health and Safety

As MOVPE has become well-established production technology, there are equally growing concerns associated with its bearing on personnel and community safety, environmental impact and maximum quantities of hazardous materials (such as gases and metalorganics) permissible in the device fabrication operations. The safety as well as responsible environmental care have become major factors of paramount importance in the MOVPE-based crystal growth of compound semiconductors.

See also