THIN CRYSTALLINE INDIUM-PHOSPHIDE ON INSULATING SUBSTRATES

UNIFORM LARGE AREA, DEVICE QUALITY INDIUM PHOSPHIDE (INP) EPITAXIAL LAYERS ON INSULATING SUBSTRATES COULD LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW GENERATION OF PRODUCIBLE, RADIATION-HARDENED MICROELECTRONIC AND OPTOELECTRONIV INTEGRATED CIRCUITS. INP ALLOYS OFFER THE ADVANTAGES OF: PROVEN RESISTANCE TO RADIATION DAMAGE; LOWER SURFACE RECOMBINATION THAN GAAS; HIGH PEAK ELECTRON VELOCITY; AND BANDGAPS THAT MATCH THE LOW-ATTENUATION WINDOW IN SILICA-BASED OPTICAL WAVEGUIDES. IN THIS STUDY, A SIMPLE METHOD OF GROWING CRYSTALLINE INP HETEROLAYERS ON INSULATING SUBSTRATES IS BEING INVESTIGATED. THIS INVESTIGATION APPLIES SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED IN PRODUCING GAAS/SI HETEROSTRUCTURES. THE SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATION OF THIS CONCEPT WILL ALLOW THE DEVELOPMENT OF RADIATION-HARD, VLSI MICROELECTRONIC COMPONENTS INCORPORATING INP-ON-INSULATOR TECHNOLOGY. APPLICATIONS FORTHIS TECHNOLOGY INCLUDE NEURAL NETWORK LOGIC AND OPTICAL INTERCONNECT/PROCESSING SCHEMES.