Effect of dissolved oxygen on surface oxidation and dissolution of InGaAs and its impact on AsGa, AsIn, and VAs defect generation

Indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) is a promising channel material for next-generation semiconductor devices owing to its high electron mobility and compatibility with existing semiconductor technologies. However, controlling the surface oxidation and material loss from InGaAs surfaces is crucial for its integration into high-performance devices. Dissolved oxygen concentration (DOC) in a chemical can significantly affect the surface condition of InGaAs. In this study, the oxidation and etching behaviors of In0.53Ga0.47As surface in deionized water (DIW) and diluted hydrofluoric acid (DHF) solutions with varying DOC ranging from 0.3 to 20 ppm were investigated. The results indicate that the higher the DOC in DIW, the thicker the oxide film was formed, creating more oxidation states; moreover, the group III elements were oxidized more than the group V element. In DHF, the higher the DOC, the more material loss occurred, and the dissolution of group III elements was dominant, indicating that the oxidation step was the rate-determining step of overall surface etching of InGaAs. Metal oxide semiconductor capacitors fabricated on InGaAs with a low DOC treatment resulted in performance improvement, including a reduction in arsenic antisite and vacancy defects, which was strongly related to smoother surface roughness and suppressed material loss.