Controlled steam oxidation of AlInAs for microelectronics and optoelectronics applications

Thermal oxidation in water vapor of AlInAs layers lattice-matched to InP is reported. Vertical oxidation rate, analyzed vs temperature and duration, is compared to lateral oxidation. The activation energies for both lateral and vertical oxidation on the one hand and kinetics of vertical oxidation on the other hand have been investigated. The doping dependence on vertical oxidation rate is also examined. The resistivity and breakdown field of these oxide films have been found to be high enough for device applications, while the refractive index has been determined through ellipsometry. Some information about the microstructure of the native oxide are also reported.