Claims
- 1. A low temperature process for depositing an epitaxial layer of an oxide of a chosen element on the surface of a selected substrate which comprises:
- (a) providing a selected substrate having a preferred crystallographic orientation at the surface thereof; and ined
- (b) exposing said surface at a predetermined temperature to a selected vapor phase reactant containing said element, in the presence of neutral, charge-free oxygen atoms and thereby reacting said oxygen atoms with said reactant in a manner sufficient to form said oxide and induce the crystalline grow th of said oxide as said epitaxial layer on said surface of said substrate while simultaneously avoiding damage to said substrate by charged particles or high energy radiation and minimizing thermal damage to said substrate, wherein the crystal structure of said oxide forms an extension of said preferred crystallographic orientation of said surface of said substrate.
- 2. The process set forth in claim 1 wherein said neutral, charge-free oxygen atoms are formed by the mercury photosensitized dissociation of a chosen chemically unreactive oxygen-containing precursor.
- 3. The process set forth in claim 1 wherein said neutral, charge-free oxygen atoms are formed by exposing a chosen chemically unreactive oxygen-containing precursor to radiation of a selected wavelength to cause the direct dissociation of said precursor to form said oxygen atoms.
- 4. The process set forth in claim 2 or 3 wherein said oxygen-containing precursor is selected from the group consisting of nitrous oxide (N.sub.2 O), nitrogen dioxide (NO.sub.2), or molecular oxygen (O.sub.2) under selected pressure and flow rate conditions.
- 5. The process set forth in claim 1 wherein said selected vapor phase reactant is chosen from the group consisting of dimethyl zinc, zirconium acetylacetonate, and zirconium acetylacetonate mixed with silane.
- 6. The process set forth in claim 1 wherein said reacting occurs at a temperature in the range of about 30.degree. C. to 300.degree. C.
- 7. The process set forth in claim 2 wherein:
- (a) said selected vapor phase reactant is dimethyl zinc;
- (b) said chosen oxygen-containing precursor is nitrous oxide;
- (c) said substrate is sapphire oriented along the (O112) crystallographic plane; and
- (d) said oxide is zinc oxide.
- 8. A low temperature process for depositing an epitaxial layer of a sulfide of a chosen element on the surface of a selected substrate which comprises:
- (a) providing a selected substrate having a preferred crystallographic orientation at the surface thereof; and
- (b) exposing said surface at a predetermined temperature to a selected vapor phase reactant containing said element, in the presence of neutral, charge-free sulfur atoms and thereby reacting said sulfur atoms with said reactant in a manner sufficient to form said sulfide and induce the crystalline growth of said sulfide as said epitaxial layer on said surface of said substrate while simultaneously avoiding damage to said substrate by charged particles or high energy radiation and minimizing thermal damage to said substrate, wherein the crystal structure of said sulfide forms an extension of said preferred crystallographic orientation of said surface of said substrate.
- 9. The process set forth in claim 8 wherein said neutral, charge-free sulfur atoms are formed by exposing a chosen chemically unreactive sulfur-containing precursor to radiation of a selected wavelength to cause the direct dissociation of said precursor to form said sulfur atoms.
- 10. The process set forth in claim 8 wherein said neutral, charge-free sulfur atoms are formed by the mercury photosensitized dissociation of a chosen chemically unreactive sulfur-containing precursor.
- 11. The process set forth in claim 9 or 10 wherein said chemically unreactive sulfur-containing precursor is selected from the group consisting of carbonyl sulfide, hydrogen sulfide, dialkyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, and methyl mercaptan.
- 12. The process set forth in claim 8 wherein said reacting occurs at a temperature in the range of about 30.degree. C. to 300.degree. C.
- 13. The process set forth in claim 9 wherein:
- (a) said vapor phase reactant is tetraethyl lead;
- (b) said sulfur-containing precursor is carbonyl sulfide;
- (c) said substrate is germanium; and
- (d) said sulfide is lead sulfide (PbS).
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 391,073, filed June 22, 1982 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
51-54770 |
May 1976 |
JPX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (4)
Entry |
Mullin et al, Jl. of Crystal Growth, 55 (1981) pp. 92-106, 10/81. |
Shiosaki et al, Appl. Phys. Lett., 39(5) 9/1/81. |
Translation of Sasaki Patent. |
Messick, Jl. of Applied Physics, V47, 140.11, 11/76. |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
391073 |
Jun 1982 |
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