Epitaxial growth

In epitaxial growth by CVD, the growth rate depends strongly on temperature in the relatively low-temperature regime. Why?

  1. ABecause the growth rate is determined only by the source gas supply
  2. BBecause the rate of the chemical reaction at the surface determines the growth rate (surface-reaction limited)
  3. CBecause the growth rate does not depend on temperature
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Answer: B. Because the rate of the chemical reaction at the surface determines the growth rate (surface-reaction limited)

At low temperatures the surface reaction is slow and its rate determines the growth rate (surface-reaction limited). Because the reaction rate depends exponentially on temperature, so does the growth rate. At high temperatures the reaction is fast enough that the rate of gas supply determines growth (mass-transport limited).

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More Epitaxial growth questions

  1. Which is a typical crystal defect in epitaxial layers in which the stacking sequence of atomic planes is disrupted?
  2. In GaN and similar materials, what is the technique called that reduces dislocations by growing crystal from mask openings and then laterally over the mask?
  3. Which method grows crystal on a substrate by precipitating it from a solution such as a molten metal?
  4. Which is closest to the typical growth temperature for silicon epitaxy using trichlorosilane?
  5. When a thin silicon layer is grown epitaxially on a relaxed SiGe layer with a larger lattice constant, what strain develops in the silicon?