Suppressing Oxygen Incorporation in III–V Aluminum-Containing Alloys in Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy by Antimony as a Surfactant

Oxygen incorporation during metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) of III–V semiconductors, particularly in aluminum-containing alloys such as AlInAs and AlGaAs, poses significant challenges to device performances. Here, we present an unprecedented strategy to suppress oxygen incorporation during AlGaAs and AlInAs layer growth using antimony (Sb), which is a well-known surfactant in III–V epitaxy. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) results reveal that Sb-assisted growth reduces oxygen incorporation in AlInAs layers to below SIMS detection limits (≈10¹⁵–10¹⁶ atoms/cm³). Additionally, using Sb during growth similarly lowers oxygen levels in AlGaAs layers, reducing the concentration by approximately four times, depending on conditions. While the exact mechanisms remain unexplained, our results suggest a promising strategy for achieving higher material purity (when aluminum alloy containing III–V is concerned), potentially granting longer photonic and electronic device lifetimes, and higher device reliability.