The Interplay of Thermo-Mechanical Properties in the Growth and Processing of III-V Materials
The thermo-mechanical properties of III-V semiconductors, in general, and of GaAs and InP in particular, are reviewed. They play an important role in many aspects of semiconductor device fabrication starting from the growth of bulk crystals. Dislocation generation in GaAs and InP are discussed with the emphasis on the theoretical and experimental aspects of reducing the dislocation density in these materials. Such mechanical properties as glide systems, critical resolved shear stress and impurity hardening are covered. The effects of dislocations on device performance are illustrated with examples from photonic and electronic devices. Finally, the effect of thermomechanical stresses in the degradation and reliability of GaAs/AlGaAs and InP/InGaAsP based opto-electronic devices is considered.