Fundamental studies of halogen reactions with III-V semiconductor surfaces

It is technologically important to understand how halogens react with semiconductor surfaces because halogen compounds are commonly used to etch semiconductor wafers in the microelectronics industry. Halogens are also model adsorbates for studying chemisorption on covalently bonded materials, such as semiconductors, owing to the simple nature of the bonds that they form. The growing use of III-V materials in the manufacture of optoelectronic devices has prompted investigations of the reactions of molecular halogens (XeF2, Cl-2, Br-2, and I-2) with III-V semiconductor surfaces (GaAs, GaSb, InP, InAs, and InSb). This review examines the more fundamental of these investigations, which involve model systems in ultra-high vacuum, focusing on the chemistry of the halogen surface reactions and the physical and electronic structure of the reacted surfaces.