Study of the influence of native oxide layers on atomic force microscopy imaging of semiconductor surfaces

✍ Scribed by H. Bluhm; U. D. Schwarz; F. Herrmann; P. Paufler

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 757 KB
• Volume: 59
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00348415

✦ Synopsis

We have investigated the influence of the native oxide layer on semiconductor surfaces on the imaging properties of the atomic force microscope operated under ambient conditions by using epitaxial Inl_xGaxAs layers grown by Metal-Organic Chemical Vapour Deposition (MOCVD) on (001) oriented InP substrates which have been kept under ambient conditions for two years. The thickness and composition of the native oxide layers were studied with ellipsometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. Subsequently, the sample surfaces were imaged by means of atomic force microscopy operated in air which revealed terrace structures separated by monoatomic steps. The obtained data were compared with the surface morphology which can be expected from the MOCVD growth process. The results suggest that an accurate study of semiconductor layer growth by atomic force microscopy in air is possible.