Lattice-Matched Heteroepitaxy of Wide Gap Ternary Compound Semiconductors

Abstract

ABSTRACTA variety of applications are identified for heteroepitaxial structures of wide gap I-III-VI2and II-IV-V2semiconductors, and are assessed in comparison with ternary III-V alloys and other wide gap materials. Non-linear optical applications of the I-III-VI2and II-IV-V2compound heterostructures are discussed, which require the growth of thick epitaxial layers imposing stringent requirements on the conditions of heteroepitaxy. In particular, recent results concerning the MOCVD growth of ZnSixGe1-xP2alloys lattice-matching Si or GaP substrates are reviewed. Also, heterostructures of CuzAg1-zGaS2alloys that lattice-match Si, Ge, GaP or GaAs substrates are considered in the context of optoelectronic devices operating in the blue wavelength regime. Since under the conditions of MOCVD, metastable alloys of the II-IV-V2compounds and group IV elements are realized, II-IV-V2alloys may also serve as interlayers in the integration of silicon and germanium with exactly lattice-matched tetrahedrally coordinated compound semiconductors, e.g. ZnSixGe1-xP2.