SEMI M54 - Guide for Semi-Insulating (SI) GaAs Material Parameters -

Abstract

1  Purpose
1.1  Substrates with high electrical resistivity and electron drift mobility are needed to fabricate high performance digital and analog microelectronic devices and circuits. Semi-insulating n-type gallium arsenide, henceforth termed SI GaAs, has been established worldwide as a preferred substrate material for such applications.
1.2  The active layers needed for devices are generated either by epitaxy or by ion implantation. The quality of these layers, and hence the performance, yield and reliability of devices, strongly depends on the bulk and surface quality of the substrate.
1.3  This Standard provides a basis for specifying the material parameters of SI GaAs to support ordering agreements between suppliers and purchasers.
2  Scope
2.1  This Standard defines and describes the electrical, optical, structural, and surface properties of SI GaAs that are considered technically relevant according to the present status of scientific knowledge and material technology.
2.2  A specification of the material quality of SI GaAs substrates includes a number of the parameters described below. Depending on the intended application, a particular subset of properties and respective parameters will be considered relevant by the purchaser.
2.3  In order to enhance the clarity and applicability of the Document, the ordering information in § 6 subdivides the material parameters in respect of their relative importance, according to general industry perception.
2.4  Some material properties and parameters, while intensively discussed in the technical literature, are insufficiently established to allow an unambiguous specification. The available information is nevertheless included to support supplier-purchaser discussions and agreements on these issues.
2.5  Each parameter specification requires an agreement about verification. Appropriate information is summarized in § 5. Available standard test methods elaborated by SEMI are referenced in § 3.
2.6  A number of the required standard test methods do not exist at present. This Document is expected to serve as a guideline and incentive for qualified standardization committees to develop the missing standard procedures. Conversely, if at present more than one standard test method for verification of a specific parameter exists (refer to Table 1), a global consensus procedure towards selecting or generating a unique standard is advocated.
2.7  The geometrical properties of wafers, in particular orientation, diameter, thickness, flatness and edge rounding, are covered by the series of SEMI M9 specifications and shall not be addressed here.

Referenced SEMI Standards (purchase separately)
SEMI M9 — Specification for Polished Monocrystalline Gallium Arsenide Slices
SEMI M10 — Terminology for Identification of Structures and Features Seen on Gallium Arsenide
SEMI M15 — Polished Wafer Defect Limits Table for Polished Gallium Arsenide Wafers
SEMI M36 — Test Method for Measuring Etch Pit Density (EPD) in Low Dislocation Density Gallium Arsenide Wafers
SEMI M39 — Test Method for Measuring Resistivity and Hall Coefficient and Determining Hall Mobility in Semi-insulating GaAs Single Crystals
SEMI M64 — Test Method for the El2 Deep Donor Concentration in Semi-Insulating (SI) Gallium Arsenide Single Crystals by Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy
SEMI M82 — Test Method for the Carbon Acceptor Concentration in Semi-Insulating Gallium Arsenide Single Crystals by Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy
SEMI M83 — Test Method for Determination of Discoloration Etch Pit Density in Monocrystals of III-V Compound Semiconductors
SEMI M87 — Test Method for Contactless Resistivity Measurement of Semi-Insulting Semiconductors

Revision History
SEMI M54-0924 (technical revision)
SEMI M54-0319 (technical revision)
SEMI M54-0304 (Reapproved 0611)
SEMI M54-0304 (technical revision)
SEMI M54-0303 (first published)

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