Abstract

Atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) is a method for epitaxial growth of semiconductor thin films that utilizes the adsorption kinetics of source gases for external control of the film growth process [1]. ALE takes advantage of the self-limiting nature of the chemisorption process for achieving layer-by-layer growth of semiconductors with uniform film thickness, ideally, 1 ML per adsorption cycle. The 1 ML/cycle film growth is a uniquely distinguishing feature, that makes ALE highly attractive for preparation of ultrathin films of precisely controlled thickness. Other unique characteristics of ALE growth are that the spatial homogeneity of thin films, and the film thickness per cycle are insensitive to small variations in the external process parameters. The parameter space in which ALE is independent of external conditions is known as the ALE window [2].

© 1995 Optical Society of America