Metal-Organic Vapour Phase Epitaxy (MOVPE)

University of Sheffield

The EPSRC National Epitaxy Facility can offer the full range of phosphide and arsenide based semiconductor materials by MOVPE to support a wide range of device structures for world leading semiconductor physics and engineering research in the UK, including both lattice matched and strained combinations of III-V epitaxial materials.

A wide range of III-V epitaxial material is offered comprising gallium, aluminium, indium, arsenic, phosphorus plus silicon n-dopants and zinc and carbon p-dopants.

Both lattice matched and strained combinations are available. Furthermore the Facility is currently developing capability for antimonides by MOVPE with a view to this being available to the semiconductor research community in the near future.

MOVPE Aixtron close-coupled showerhead CCS 3×2 JR (John Roberts) reactor

  • In operation at NEF since July 2018
  • 3 x 2” wafer capability
  • Enabling technology transfer into industry 
  • Showerhead technique: vertical growth with improved homogeneity
  • In-situ monitoring for reflectivity and temperature profiling: EpiTT, Argus
  • Designed also for growth on Silicon

MOVPE Aixtron CCS 3×2 PH (Peter Houston) reactor

  • In operation at NEF since 2022
  • Closed coupled showerhead (CCS) technology
  • A flip top chamber with 3 x 2”, 1 x 3” and 1 x 4” wafer capability

MOVPE Thomas Swan (TS) CCS Robot Loader 7×2 

  • In operation at NEF since 2004
  • 1 x 6”, 2 x 4”, 3 x 3” and 6 x 2” wafer capability
  • Fully automated robot loader 

University of Cambridge

Gallium Nitride Epitaxy 

The Cambridge Centre for Gallium Nitride has two MOVPE growth machines. A Thomas Swan reactor, with a 6 x 2 inch wafer capacity and an Aixtron reactor capable of growing 6 inch wafers. Through the resources provided by our Cambridge partners an extensive range of characterisation techniques are available to support the development of new GaN technologies.

Structures and devices include:

  • LEDs, UV LEDs, HEMTs, GaN on diamond and GaN on silicon
  • GaN, AlN, InGaN, AlGaN, AlInN and InAlGaN

Veeco Reactor

The Veeco reactor is configured to utilise cold-wall high-revolution (~1000 rpm) rotating-disc fluid dynamics at a large plenum-susceptor separation in contrast to the close-coupled showerhead geometry of the other two tools. In order to monitor temperature, reflectivity, and curvature of the epilayers during growth, the system is equipped with reflectometer and emissivity corrected pyrometers at the center and at the edge. Presently, the reactor is capable of growth on 2″, 6″, and 8″ Si/Sapphire/SiC substrates (with a proposed road-map for 12″) and supports the epitaxial requirements of multiple projects.

Aixtron Reactor

The reactor has a modified heater to allow for higher temperature growth than with standard GaN reactors. We can now grow up to 1300 °C (wafer temperature) for high-quality AlN on sapphire work. The new configuration is also highly beneficial for large-area GaN on Si growth as well as more standard sapphire, SiC, free standing GaN, etc. We currently can grow 6″ GaN on Si wafers, with a view to scaling up to 8″ work.