DEVELOPMENT OF MONOETHYLARSINE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR ARSINE IN THE MOCVD PROCESS

MOCVD IS A UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED EXPITAXIAL PROCESS FOR THE DEPOSITION OF COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTORS. IN FACT, MANY PRODUCTION FACILITIES ARE IN OPERATION. PRODUCTS INCLUDE MICROWAVE AND MILLIMETER WAVE INTEGRATED CIRCUITS (MMICS), LASER DIODES FOR COMPACT DISC PLAYERS, PHOTOCATHODES FOR NIGHT VISION GOGGLES, AND GALLIUM ARSENIDE AND INDIUM PHOSPHIDE SOLAR CELLS. THE CRITICAL WEAKNESS OF THE MOCVD TECHNIQUE IS ITS DEPENDENCE ON ARSINE GAS AS THE GROUP V REAGENT. THE EXTREME TOXICITY OF THIS SUBSTANCE NECESSITATES COSTLY DETECTION AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT. IN THE ATMOSPHERE OF INCREASING ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS, RESTRICTIONS ALREADY EXIST IN MANY STATES THAT FORBID OR RIGIDLY CONTROL THE AMOUNT OF ARSINE USED IN PRODUCTION. ANY MAJOR RELEASE COULD TRIGGER THE TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT SHUTDOWN OF FACILITIES THAT USE ARSINE AND, THUS, INTERRUPT THE DELIVERY OF DEVICES AND CIRCUITS FOR DEFENSE NEEDS. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH ADDRESSES THIS PROBLEM BY SEEKING TO DEVELOP MONOETHYLARSINE AS A REPLACEMENT FOR ARSINE. IT IS A HIGH VAPOR PRESSURE LIQUID SOURCE WHOSE TOXICITY IS EXPECTED TO BE MUCH LOWER THAN THAT OF ARSINE, IS NOT SYNTHESIZED FROM ARSINE, AND IS EXPECTED TO BE PRICED COMPETITIVELY WITH ARSINE ONCE IT IS IN FULL PRODUCTION. THESE AND OTHER REASONS MAKE MONOETHYLARSINE AN EXTREMELY ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO ARSINE. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS/POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS - IF THE QUALITY OF GAAS FILMS GROWN WITH MONOETHYLARSINE IS COMPARABLE TO THOSE GROWN WITH ARSINE, MONOETHYLARSINE COULD COMPLETELY REPLACE ARSINE AS A COST-COMPETITIVE GROUP V SOURCE, OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, FOR THE MOCVD GROWTH OF III-V SEMICONDUCTORS. SPIRE CORPORATION WILL COMMERCIALIZE THIS TECHNOLOGY BY SELLING CUSTOM WAFERS GROWN WITH MONOETHYLARSINE, VIA ITS EXPITAXIAL PRODUCTS SERVICE GROUP. KEY WORDS - MONOETHYLARSINE, TOXICITY, ETHYLARSINE, ARSINE, MOCVD