Nearly ideal InP/In0.53Ga0.47As heterojunction regrowth on chemically prepared In0.53Ga0.47As surfaces

Abstract
When III‐V growth is interrupted for processing, in the ambient laboratory environment for example, regrown heterojunction quality has been rather disappointing in comparison to uninterrupted epitaxial growth. We have conducted a search for surface chemical preparations on In0.53Ga0.47As which would produce the highest‐quality InP/In0.53Ga0.47As regrown heterojunction interface, as measured by surface recombination velocity (SRV). After an extensive survey, we have found that dilute bromine‐based etching solutions are best for preparing a free In0.53Ga0.47As surface for subsequent InP regrowth. The resulting InP/In0.53Ga0.47As interfacial SRV is ≲20 cm/s, comparable to heterojunctions grown without any interruption at all.