Formation of the Near-Surface Layer of a Triple Solid Solution in Wafers of Binary Compounds of Groups III-V due to Solid-Phase Substitution Reactions

The possibility of manufacturing semiconductor heterostructures based on III-V compounds for photovoltaic converters by diffusion methods is investigated. In a semiconductor wafer of the AB compound, a near-surface nanoscale layer of AB(1 - x)C(x) solid solution is formed due to the solid-phase substitution reactions of B atoms with C atoms supplied to the surface of the wafer in vapor form at 480-580 degrees C for GaSb wafers and 670 degrees C for GaAs wafers. The source of the C-element vapor were saturated solution melts based on Ga or In, or unsaturated Sn-based solution melts. The possibility of forming a p-n junction due to Zn diffusion into the n-type AB wafer simultaneously with the formation of an AB(1 - x)C(x) near-surface layer is investigated. The positive effect of GaSb1 - xAsx and GaSb1 - xPx near-surface layers on the luminescence characteristics of GaSb-based structures with simultaneous zinc diffusion is shown.