Laser chemistry relevant to III-V semiconductor growth

Despite its toxicity, arsine remains a "workhorse" in the field of semiconductor research because it provides a relatively clean (i.e. carbon-free) means of delivering atomic As to a growth surface. However, the feasibility of using alternative arsenic sources is currently being investigated by the semiconductor community. Two liquid metalorganic alternatives, triethylarsenic and monoethylarsine, contain carbon that can appear as a significant impurity in the semiconductor material itself. We present results on the laser-induced photochemistry of the above compounds. Our efforts are focused on using lasers to generate and detect atomic hydrogen, a species that is known to be a good radical scavenger in growth environments. We also present results on the laser ablation of inorganic salts that may be useful as precursors for 111-V thin-film growth. Compounds such as K 3 Ga 3 As 4 and K 2 Ga 2 Sb 4 are irradiated with various excimer laser wavelengths, and we report on the prognosis for viable film growth using this approach.