Anomalous minority carrier behavior induced by chemical surface passivation solution in p-type GaSb metal–oxide–semiconductor capacitors on Si substrates

p-type GaSb metal–oxide–semiconductor capacitors with thin InAs surface capping layers were prepared on Si(001) substrates. Epitaxial structures with superlattice metamorphic buffer layers were grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Chemical surface treatment and atomic layer deposition methods were employed for a semiconductor surface passivation and Al2O3 high-k oxide fabrication, respectively. Capacitance-voltage measurements and scanning and transmission electron microscopies were used to correlate electrical properties with the oxide-semiconductor interface structure of the capacitors. Unexpectedly, fast minority carrier response present down to liquid nitrogen temperature was observed in the capacitors passivated by an ammonium sulfide solution. This fast response was found to be related to etch pitlike surface morphology developed upon chemical passivation at the surface steps formed by microtwins and antiphase domain boundaries. Preferential InAs etching by ammonium sulfide at the surface defects was confirmed by analytical TEM studies. Very low activation energy of minority carrier response suggests the presence of electron sources under the gate; they result from growth-related surface defects that give rise to potential fluctuations of as high as half the GaSb bandgap.