Internal Photoemission and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopic Studies of Sulfur-Passivated GaAs

Internal photoemission and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) measurements were performed to investigate the effect of sulfur passivation on the GaAs surface and the degradation of the GaAs surface exposed to air ambient after the passivation. The reverse bias dependence of the Schottky barrier height was very small in the as-sulfur-treated sample and was mainly explained by the image force lowering effect. However, it increased as this sample was exposed to air, indicating an increase in the interface state density. The XPS studies showed that both the Ga and As oxides were hardly observed in the sulfur-passivated samples. This indicates that sulfur passivation strongly suppresses oxidation of GaAs. However, a small amount of elemental arsenic was observed with a trace of the As suboxides (such as AsO) after exposure to air and it increased as the exposure time was increased. These results were probably correlated with the increase in the bias dependence of the Schottky barrier height in samples exposed to air after the passivation. Thermal oxidation of GaAs was found to be retarded by sulfur passivation until oxidation time was about 10 min at 300°C. A possible model of suppression of oxidation by sulfur passivation was also discussed.