AbstractsWe have grown GaAs epilayers by ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition(UHVCVD) using adsorbed hydrides and metalorganic compounds via a surface decomposition process. This result indicates that unprecracked arsine(AsH3) can be used in chemical beam epitaxy(CBE) and that a new hydride source with a low decomposition temperature, monoethylarsine(MEAs) can replace the precracked AsH3 source in CBE. The impurity concentrations in GaAs grown with trimethylgallium(TMG) and triethylgallium(TEG) were found to be very sensitve to growth temperature. It was also found that the uptake of carbon impurity is significantly reduced when TMG is replaced with TEG. The carbon concentrations in epilayers grown using TMG and TEG with unprecracked AsH3 and MEAs were reduced by 2-3 orders of magnitude compared to those by CBE process employing TMG and arsenics from precracked hydrides. We have also found that the hydrogen atoms play an important role in the reduction of carbon content in GaAs epilayer. Intermediates like dihydrides from MEAs decomposed on the surface are considered to supply hydrogen atoms and hydrides during growth, which may remove other carbon containing species.
