Wet Oxidation Process to Al0.98Ga0.02As Layer for the Vertical-Cavity-Surface-Emitting-Laser Fabrications

doi:10.15541/jim20170130

Abstract

Abstract:

To study the wet oxidation process and mechanism in the Vertical-Cavity-Surface-Emitting-Laser (VCSEL) fabrications, a special material structure was designed and grown by the Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition(MOCVD) method. The samples formed by photolithography and dry etching were subjected to wet oxidation for different time, and the oxidation degree was determined by the surface morphology and the cross-sectional structure. In this study, a linear tendency was revealed between oxidation depth and oxidation time during a relatively short oxidation period, then it transformed into parabolic tendency and gradually became saturated with increasing oxidation time. Moreover, it was found that the oxidation rate of Al_0.98Ga_0.02As was higher than that of Al_0.9Ga_0.1As layer by one order of magnitude, and the speed of oxidation processing was accelerated as the Al_0.9Ga_0.1As layer thickened. Finally, the lateral oxidation process of Al_0.98Ga_0.02As layer in the confined space was interpreted by a modified one-dimensional Deal-Grove model.

Key words: VCSEL, wet oxidation, AlGaAs, MOCVD

CLC Number:

TQ174

LIN Tao, ZHANG Tian-Jie, LI Jing-Jing, GUO En-Min, NING Shao-Huan, DUAN Yu-Peng, LIN Nan, QI Qiong, MA Xiao-Yu. Wet Oxidation Process to Al_0.98Ga_0.02As Layer for the Vertical-Cavity-Surface-Emitting-Laser Fabrications[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2018, 33(3): 266-272.

Figures/Tables 8

Fig. 1 Material structure for wet oxidation experiment

Fig. 2 Schematic diagram of wet-oxidation equipment

Fig. 3 XRD pattern of the material structure

Fig. 4 Cross-section SEM images of the material structure(a) Lower part; (b) Upper part

Fig. 5 Surface morphologies of the samples with different oxidation time (a) 15 min; (b) 20 min; (c) 25 min; (d) 30 min

Fig. 6 Cross-section SEM images of the samples with different oxidation time(a) 15 min; (b) 20 min; (c) 25 min; (d) 30 min

Fig. 7 Relationship between oxidation depth and oxidation time of the material structure

Fig. 8 Schematic diagram of the mechanism for AlGaAs oxidation in the mesa structure

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