Mbe Growth Of Lattice-Matched Metal/Semiconductor Structures

We grew a Ni(InxAl1-x) metal film on an InP substrate with an InAlAs/InCaAs buffer layer by MBE. Although the bulk NiIn has a hexagonal structure at room temperature, we have successfully grown epitaxial NiIn0.24Al0.76 to at least 100 monolayers on the InP substrate with an alternate supply of Ni and In0.24Al0.76. Reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) showed a diffuse 6x6 reconstruction at the first stage of the growth and an alternate change between sharp 6x6 and 3x3 reconstruction, according to the In0.24Al0.76 and Ni deposition. The metal/semiconductor interface is very smooth and abrupt, with no evidence of a reacted layer. Resistivity of the 100 monolayer thick film was 50 mu Omega . cm, which is comparable to bulk NiAl.