CVDMOCVD

CVDMOCVD refers to chemical vapor deposition processes that employ metal-organic precursors, commonly described in the literature as metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). In practice, CVD-MOCVD is the application of the CVD framework to grow thin films from volatile organometallic compounds, often for compound semiconductors. Some sources use the term CVD-MOCVD to emphasize the CVD context, while the more widely used term remains MOCVD.

Process and principles

In MOCVD/CVD-MOCVD, the substrate is heated to a high temperature within a reactor. Volatile metal-organic sources (for example, trimethylgallium, trimethylindium, or triethylgallium) are introduced along with a group V or oxide source (such as arsine, phosphine, ammonia, or water) in a carrier gas. The precursors decompose at or near the substrate surface, delivering the desired elemental species and forming a crystalline film. By adjusting precursor flow rates, reactor temperature, pressure, and gas composition, film composition and thickness are controlled with high precision. Byproducts are purged from the chamber by the vacuum or the carrier gas flow.

Materials and applications

MOCVD/CVD-MOCVD is widely used to grow III-V and II-VI compound semiconductors (for example GaAs, InP, GaN, AlN) as well as certain oxide films. Applications span optoelectronics (LEDs, lasers), high-speed electronics, power devices, and heterostructures such as quantum wells and multi-layer absorbers. The technique enables epitaxial and near-epitaxial films with controlled dopant incorporation and compositional grading.

Safety and challenges

Precursors are often toxic, pyrophoric, or otherwise hazardous, requiring strict handling and waste management. Challenges include complex precursor chemistry, parasitic reactions, and maintaining uniformity across large-area wafers. Despite these, MOCVD/CVD-MOCVD remains a leading method for high-quality compound semiconductor films.