Molecular Beam Epitaxy
This method is mainly used to produce nanometer scale layers, islands and semiconductor devices. Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) is a method for growing crystals through the interaction of overheated crystalline substrates and vapor beams. For this process to take place ultra high vacuum chambers and ultra pure substrates and vapors and required. Semiconductor precursor vapors are projected onto the overheated substrate in controlled pressure and temperature conditions to obtain continuous growth of a crystal. The advantages of this method, when compared to other epitaxy techniques, are the higher control over the interfaces and abruptness of the materials, the higher purity of the materials, the possibility of monitoring the deposition process in real-time. The most important disadvantages are lower deposition speed and smaller growth area. This method is mainly used to produce nanometer scale layers and islands and semiconductor devices that integrate these features. By this capability MBE revolutionized the production of optoelectronics devices as semiconductor lasers or LEDs. Molecular beam epitaxy enables the growth of semiconductor materials such as Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) for chips in applications such as mobile phones and other communications devices, Indium Arsenide (InAs) for infrared detectors and optoelectronics, and a wide range of other and more complex compound materials for modern electronic devices.