AVS 47th International Symposium
    Material Characterization Friday Sessions
       Session MC+NS-FrM

Paper MC+NS-FrM7
Scanning Spreading Resistance Microscopy of MOCVD Grown InP Structures

Friday, October 6, 2000, 10:20 am, Room 207

Session: Characterization of Interfaces and Thin Films
Presenter: St.J. Dixon-Warren, Nortel Networks, Canada
Authors: St.J. Dixon-Warren, Nortel Networks, Canada
S. Ingrey, Nortel Networks, Canada
Correspondent: Click to Email
Scanning spreading resistance microscopy (SSRM) is a new probe microscopy technique that provides localized resistance profiling over a semiconductor surface. The technique, which is based on contact-mode atomic force microscopy (AFM), provides information on the two dimensional distribution of charge carriers and on the position of pn junctions in semiconductor structures. We have used SSRM to examine the cleaved edge of a number of MOCVD grown InP structures, including multi-quantum well layers and buried heterojunction laser structures. Information on the spatial distribution of dopants in the InP epitaxial layers was obtained. The effect of the applied tip voltage was investigated. We found that the active region of the laser structure, where the band gap is lowest, could be identified in the voltage dependence of the SSRM images. The effect of scanning rate, surface preparation and tip choice will also be discussed.