This is a research program on the development of laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition (LA-CVD) for the epitaxial growth of II-VI compound semiconductors. Focus will be on ZnSe, which has several important optoelectronic device applications. LA-CVD should allow lower growth temperatures and better Stoichiometric control than conventional techniques, through selective excitation and photodissociation of source materials. Lower temperatures may be particularly important for the development of techniques for the growth of device-quality II-VI semiconductor crystals. The first year of the research program will be devoted to demonstrating that LA-CVD is a viable method for growing ZnSe of useful quality by determining the important parameters and techniques for successful epitaxial deposition. In the second and third years, quantitative kinetic and mass transport models of the growth process will be developed. Detailed characterization of the structual and electrical properties of the films will be made in order to correlate growth conditions with electrical characteristics. The ultimate goal of this program is to develop a technique for the growth of device quality ZnSe and to fabricate working p-n junction from this material.
