MOCVD

Basics & Applications

 Outline

Introduction
Physical and chemical properties of sources used in MOCVD
Deposition conditions and chemistry
System design and construction along with several
functional subsystems
Most important applications
 MOCVD

Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD);

Many materials that we wish to deposite have very low vapor pressures and thus are difficult to
transport via gases;

One solution is to chemically attach the metal (Ga, Al, Cu, etc) to an organic compound that has a very
high vapor pressure.

The organic-metal bond is very weak and can be broken via thermal means on wafer, depositing the
metal with the high vapor pressure organic being pumped away.

Care must be taken to insure little of the organic byproducts are incorporated. Carbon contamination
and unintentional Hydrogen incorporation are sometimes a problem.

Primarily used for II-VI, and III-V semiconducts, special metallic oxides and metals.

Human Hazard: As the human body absorbs organic compounds very easily, the
metal organics are very easily absorbed by humans. Once in the body, the weak
metal-organic bond is easily broken, thus, poisoning the body with heavy metals
that often can not be easily removed by normal bodily functions. In extreme cases,
blood transfusion is the only solution (if caught in time).
 Major Components & Sources used in MOCVD

Major Components
Gas handling system
Reactor chamber
Heating system
Exhaust system

Sources being used for MOCVD are combinations of organometalic compounds

and hydrides.
TMGa, TEGa, TMAl, TMIn, DMZn, etc.
Metal organics (MO) or Alkyls: Bubbler
Hydride: AsH, PH, NH, SiH Cylinder
Gas cabinet
Carrier gas: H or N
H purifier

Valves, MFCs, tubes, pumps etc.

 Sources used in MOCVD

Sources being used for MOCVD are combinations of organometalic compounds

and hydrides.
III-V and II-VI compounds and alloys are usually grown using low molecular
weight metal alkyls such as trimethyle gallium or dimethyle cadmium as the
metal (Group III or Group II) source.
The nonmetal (group V or group VI) source are either a hydride such as HS, NH
or an organometal such as trimethyle antimony (TMSb) or dimethyle tellurium
(DMTe).
The sources are introduced as vapour phase constituents into a reaction
chamber at aprox room temperature which then decomposed at elevated
temperature by a hot susceptor and substrate to form the desired film.
The chamber wall are not heated and do not directly influence the chemical
reactions.
 Chemical Reactions

The general overall chemical reaction that occurs during the MOCVD process
RM(v) + ER(v) ME(s) + nRR(v)
(CH)Ga + NH GaN + 3CH
Where R and R represent methyl or ethyl radical or hydrogen, M is group III metal,
E is group V element, a = 2 or 3 and v and s indicate whether the species is in the
vapor or solid phase.
The vapor phase reactants RM(v) and ER(v) are thermally decomposed at elevated
temperatures to form the nonvolatile product ME which is deposited on the
substrate, while the volatile product RR is carried away by the H flush gas to the
exhaust. An example would be the reaction of (CH)Ga and NH to produce GaN and
3CH.
Note that above equation only described a simplified overall reaction and ignores any
side reaction and intermediate steps.
Above equation allows the use of both hydride and organometallic compounds and
sources.
Physical and Chemical Properties of Organometallic Compounds

Organometallic compounds are generally clear liquids are occasionally white solids
around room temp.
Highly inflammable.
High vapor pressure (0.5 100 Torr) around room temp.
Transported as vapor phase species by suitable carrier.
Low molecular weight i.e. TMGa are used for compound semiconductor work
because their high vapor pressure allow high growth rates.
TMGa has a V.P of 65.4 Torr at 0 C, whereas TEGa has V.P 4.4 Torr at 20C.
The temp. at which the organometallic compound decompose is a function of both
the surface with which it collides and the gas ambient.
Generally the reported decomposition temps are in the range of 200 to 400 C for
most of the metal alkyls. P and As containing alkyls decompose at much higher temp.
Most of the commonly used organomettalic sources are pyrophoric.
GaN Growth Mechanism

GaN growth schematics

 Growth Conditions

The most basic growth parameters that are varied in MOCVD are;
The growth (susceptor) temperature;
Input reactant molar flows

For the growth of III-Vs, temperatures ranging from 550-1200C have been used
successfully.
Materials with relatively low melting temperature grow at the lower end of that
range, whereas high melting temp materials i.e. GaN grow at higher end of range.
Almost the III-V growth is carried out with the input V/III ratios [moles per min of
group V precursor(s)/moles per min of group III precursor(s)].
Mol/min = Pv/PEPC QMFC/22400
In case of NH, Mol/min = QMFC/22400
Pv can be calculated by Antoine equation: Log10 Pv = A - B/(273.15+T C)
Log10 Pv = 10.52-3014/(273.15+T C)
For TMIn: A=10.52, B=3014, MFC=50 sccm
For TMGa: A=8.07, B=1703, MFC=25 sccm
 Growth Conditions

InGaN should be grown at lower temperature than GaN and at higher V/III ratio
due to lower dissociation temperature and higher nitrogen partial pressure;
AlGaN should be grown at higher temperature than GaN and at lower V/III ratio
due to higher dissociation temperature and lower nitrogen partial pressure

InGaN GaN AlGaN

T Low High Higher

740C 1050C 110C
P 200-400 40-100 30-50
Torr Torr Torr
V/III >5000 1000-2000 1000
 What is MOCVD?
Advantages
Faster growth than MBE, can be a few microns per hour; multi-wafer
capability easily achievable
Higher temperature growth; growth process is thermodynamically
favorable
Quality of layers usually better than MBE

Disadvantages
Difficult to monitor growth rate exactly (no Rheed possible due to
higher pressure)
Not as abrupt a process as MBE due to gas flow issues and memory
effects
Toxic gases are to be handled
Rheed: Reflection high energy electron diffraction technique used to characterize the surface of crystalline material.
Thanks!
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Any questions?