Abstract

The epitaxial growth of III-V compounds by co-pyrolysis of Group III metal alkyls and Group V hydrides constitutes one application of the well-known technique of MOVPE (metallo-organic vapour phase epitaxy). Recently interest has been aroused in the possibility of photolytic enhancement of the process. Encouraging results have been reported [1,2] with GaAs. Photolysis and pyrolysis, at least in the case of the simpler metallo-organics, lead to rather similar products, and this implies that the initial stages are chemically similar and potentially compatible. The motivation for developing a photolytic/pyrolytic process derives primarily from the high spatial resolution of photon fluxes compared with conductive or radiative heat sources.

© 1985 Optical Society of America