Self-limiting growth of InP by alternate trimethylindium and tertiarybutylphosphine supply in ultrahigh vacuum

The alternate injection of trimethylindium (TMI) and tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) without precracking was studied to expand the self-limiting growth conditions of an InP layer on a (0 0 1)InP substrate in ultrahigh vacuum. Self-limiting growth, in which the growth rate is independent of the injection time and the injection pressure of TMI and TBP, was achieved at a growth temperature as low as 310°C. The range of growth conditions for self-limiting growth using TMI was expanded two-fold compared to that using triethylindium (TEI). Specular surface morphology was achieved under the self-limiting growth condition. The growth rate of around 0.7 monolayer per cycle in self-limiting growth was assumed to be due to stable surface reconstruction of (2 × 4)-β. It was suggested that the decomposition process of TMI is identical to that of TEI, and that β elimination does not take place in either case.