Arsenic incorporation in InP epitaxial layers: a Raman scattering study

Abstract We use Raman spectroscopy to investigate the interaction of epitaxial InP surfaces with arsenic during gas-source molecular beam epitaxy. The analysis of the Raman data reveals an arsenic incorporation due to phosphorus replacement by arsenic in the InP surface. A strong temperature dependence of this incorporation process has been observed. The reversibility of As incorporation in the InP surface after a subsequent exposure to P has been also investigated and a temperature dependence of the disappearance of the InAs vibrations in the Raman spectra is demonstrated. This study demonstrates that Raman scattering is very sensitive to a thin layer at the surface and, when compared to other structural analyses such as RHEED, provides detailed information on the first stage of heteroepitaxy of semiconductors.