MOVPE of Group-III Heterostructures for Optoelectronic Applications

The method of metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) has developed over the recent 50 years into an indispensable tool in research and industrial production for novel compound semiconductor structures and devices. This article provides a brief explanation of its historical development and basic functionality. A major focus will be laid on the growth of group-III nitride heterostructures which, on the one hand, owing to their unique material properties, impose challenging problems, but, on the other hand, have evolved into the most important semiconductor family just after silicon mainly due to their application in solid-state lighting, which would not be possible without their successful growth by MOVPE.