Passivation of GaAs surface by atomic-layer-deposited titanium nitride

The suitability of titanium nitride (TiN) for GaAs surface passivation and protection is investigated. A 2–6-nm thick TiN passivation layer is deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) at 275 image C on top of InGaAs/GaAs near surface quantum well (NSQW) structures to study the surface passivation. X-ray reflectivity measurements are used to determine the physical properties of the passivation layer. TiN passivation does not affect the surface morphology of the samples, but increases significantly the photoluminescence intensity and carrier lifetime of the NSQWs, and also provides long-term protection of the sample surface. This study shows that ALD TiN coating is a promising low-temperature method for ex situ GaAs surface passivation.