Combining advanced photoelectron spectroscopy approaches to analyse deeply buried GaP(As)/Si(100) interfaces: Interfacial chemical states and complete band energy diagrams

TL;DR

This study combines advanced photoelectron spectroscopy techniques to analyze deeply buried GaP(As)/Si(100) interfaces, revealing interfacial chemical states and complete band energy diagrams crucial for optimizing heterostructure interfaces.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive approach using XPS, GCIB sputtering, and HAXPES to characterize buried GaP(As)/Si interfaces and determine their chemical and electronic properties.

Findings

Residual arsenic atoms detected in GaP lattice

Interface core level shifts observed via XPS

Valence band offset consistently around 0.6 eV

Abstract

The epitaxial growth of the polar GaP(100) on the nonpolar Si(100) substrate suffers from inevitable defects at the antiphase domain boundaries, resulting from mono-atomic steps on the Si(100) surface. Stabilization of Si(100) substrate surfaces with arsenic is a promising technological step enabling the preparation of Si substrates with double atomic steps and reduced density of the APDs. In this paper, 4-50 nm thick GaP epitaxial films were grown on As-terminated Si(100) substrates with different types of doping, miscuts, and As-surface termination by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. The GaP(As)/Si(100) heterostructures were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) combined with gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) sputtering and by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES). We found residuals of arsenic atoms in the GaP lattice (0.2-0.3 at.%) and a localization of As atoms at the GaP(As)/Si(100) interface (1 at.%). Deconvolution of core level peaks revealed interface core level shifts. In As core levels, chemical shifts between 0.5-0.8 eV were measured and identified by angle-resolved XPS measurements. Similar valence band offset (VBO) values of 0.6 eV were obtained, regardless of the doping type of Si substrate, Si substrate miscut or type of As-terminated Si substrate surface. The band alignment diagram of the heterostructure was deduced.