Abstract: An electro-conductive ultraviolet light transmitting Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 material (10) with a metallic oxide phase is deposited on a GaAs substrate or supporting structure (12). The Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 material or thin layer comprises a minor component of metallic IrO.sub.2. The Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 thin layer may be positioned using thermal evaporation (106) of Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 or of a Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 containing a compound from an Iridium crucible (108). Alternatively, the Ir may be co-evaporated (110) by electron beam evaporation. The electro-conductive ultraviolet light transmitting material Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 with a metallic oxide phase is suitable for use on solar cells and in laser lithography.

Abstract: A production process for protecting the surface of compound semiconductor wafers includes providing a multi-wafer epitaxial production system with a transfer and load module, a III-V growth chamber and an insulator chamber. The wafer is placed in the transfer and load module and the pressure is reduced to .ltoreq.10.sup.-10 Torr, after which the wafer is moved to the III-V growth chamber and layers of compound semiconductor material are epitaxially grown on the surface of the wafer.

Abstract: A method of passivating interface states of oxide-compound semiconductor interfaces using molecular, atomic, or isotopic species wherein said species are applied before oxide deposition in ultra-high vacuum, or during interruption of oxide deposition in ultra-high vacuum (preferentially after oxide surface coverage of a submonolayer, a monolayer, or a few monolayers), or during oxide deposition in ultra-high vacuum, or after completion of oxide deposition, or before or after any processing steps of the as deposited interface structure. In a preferred embodiment, hydrogen or deuterium atoms are applied to a Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 --GaAs interface at some point before, during, or after oxide deposition in ultra-high vacuum, or before or after any processing steps of the as deposited interface structure, at any given and useful substrate temperature wherein the atomic species can be provided by any one of RF discharge, microwave plasma discharge, or thermal dissociation.

Abstract: A self-aligned enhancement mode metal-oxide-compound semiconductor FET (10) includes a stoichiometric Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 gate oxide layer (14) positioned on upper surface (16) of a compound semiconductor wafer structure (13). The stoichiometric Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 layer forms an atomically abrupt interface with the compound semiconductor wafer structure. A refractory metal gate electrode (17) is positioned on upper surface (18) of the stoichiometric Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 gate oxide layer (14). The refractory metal is stable on the stoichiometric Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 gate oxide layer at elevated temperature. Self-aligned source and drain areas, and source and drain contacts (19, 20) are positioned on the source and drain areas (21, 22).

Abstract: A method of forming a silicon nitride layer or film on a semiconductor wafer structure includes forming a silicon nitride layer on the surface of a wafer structure using a molecular beam of high purity elemental Si and an atomic beam of high purity nitrogen. In a preferred embodiment, a III-V compound semiconductor wafer structure is heated in an ultra high vacuum system to a temperature below the decomposition temperature of said compound semiconductor wafer structure and a silicon nitride layer is formed using a molecular beam of Si provided by either thermal evaporation or electron beam evaporation, and an atomic nitrogen beam provided by either RF or microwave plasma discharge.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a gate quality oxide-compound semiconductor structure includes forming an insulating Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 layer on the surface of a compound semiconductor wafer structure by a supersonic gas jet containing gallium oxide molecules and oxygen. In a preferred embodiment, a III-V compound semiconductor wafer structure with an atomically ordered and chemically clean semiconductor surface is transferred from a semiconductor growth chamber into an insulator deposition chamber via an ultra high vacuum preparation chamber. Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 deposition onto the surface of the wafer structure is initiated by a supersonic gas jet pulse and proceeds via optimization of pulse duration, speed of gas jet, mole fraction of gallium oxide molecules and oxygen atoms, and plasma energy.

Abstract: A method of thermal processing a supporting structure comprised of various compound semiconductor layers having a Gd free Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 surface layer including coating the surface layer with a dielectric or a metallic cap layer or combinations thereof, such that the low D.sub.it Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 -compound semiconductor structure is conserved during thermal processing, e.g. during activation of ion implants of a self aligned metal-oxide-compound semiconductor gate structure. In a preferred embodiment, the semiconductor structure has a surface of GaAs, the Gd free Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 layer has a thickness in a range of approximately 1 nm to 20 nm, and the insulating or metallic cap layer has a thickness in a range of approximately 1 nm to 500 nm.

Abstract: A high quality interface between a GaAs-based semiconductor and a Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 dielectric an be formed if the semiconductor surface is caused to have less than 1% of a monolayer impurity coverage at completion of the first monolayer of the Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 on the surface. This is achieved, for instance, by preparing the surface of a GaAs wafer under UHV conditions in a first growth chamber, transferring the wafer through a transfer module under UHV to a second growth chamber that is also under UHV, and growing the dielectric by evaporation of Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 from a solid source, the process carried out such that the integrated impurity exposure of the surface is at most 100 Langmuirs. Articles according to the invention have low interface state density (<10.sup.11 /cm.sup.2 .multidot.eV) and interface recombination velocity (<10.sup.4 cm/s). Semiconductor/Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 structures according to the invention can be used advantageously in a variety of electronic or optoelectronic devices, e.g.

Abstract: A method of forming a stable semiconductor device on an at least partially completed semiconductor device including a supporting semiconductor structure of III-V material having a clean and atomically ordered surface to be coated with a dielectric layer structure. A relatively thin layer of Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 is deposited on the surface by evaporation using a high purity single crystal of material including Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 and a second oxide, such as MgO or Gd.sub.2 O.sub.3. A second layer of material with low bulk trap density relative to the Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 is deposited on the layer of Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 to complete the dielectric layer structure.

Abstract: A method of forming a dielectric layer on a supporting structure of III-V material having a clean and atomically ordered surface to be coated with a dielectric layer including the step of depositing a layer of Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3, having a sublimation temperature, on the surface of the supporting structure by evaporation using a high purity single crystal of material including Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 and a second oxide with a melting point greater than 700.degree. C. above the sublimation temperature of the Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3. The evaporation can be performed by any one of thermal evaporation, electron beam evaporation, and laser ablation.

Abstract: An optoelectronic lII-V or II-VI semiconductor device comprises a thin film coating with optical characteristics providing low midgap interface state density. A field effect device for inversion channel applications on III-V semiconductors also comprises a thin dielectric film providing required interface characteristics. The thin film is also applicable to passivation of states on exposed surfaces of electronic III-V devices. The thin film comprises a uniform, homogeneous, dense, stoichiometric gallium oxide (Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3) dielectric thin film, fabricated by electron-beam evaporation of a single crystal, high purity Gd.sub.3 Ga.sub.5 O.sub.12 complex compound on semiconductor substrates kept at temperatures ranging from 40.degree. to 370.degree. C. and at background pressures at or above 1.times.10.sup.-10 Torr.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of fabricating a stoichiometric gallium oxide (Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3) thin film with dielectric properties on at least a portion of a semiconducting, insulating or metallic substrate. The method comprises electron-beam evaporation of single crystal, high purity Gd.sub.3 Ga.sub.5 O.sub.12 complex compound combining relatively ionic oxide, such as Gd.sub.2 O.sub.3, with the more covalent oxide Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 such as to deposit a uniform, homogeneous, dense Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 thin film with dielectric properties on a variety of said substrates, the semiconducting substrates including III-V and II-VI compound semiconductors.