Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
Epitaxial thin films of the dilute magnetic semiconductor Hg1-xMnxTe have been grown by MOVPE on (100) GaAs substrate with or without buffer layers. Deposition took place in a horizontal, atmospheric pressure reactor at temperatures in the range 350–400° C, using tricarbonyl (methyl cyclopentadienyl) manganese, di-isopropyl tellurium and elemental mercury. Buffer layers consisted of thin layers of ZnTe and an upper thick layer (∼1μm) of CdTe. The good crystallinity was confirmed by RHEED and double crystal x-ray diffraction with rocking curve widths of 500–600 arc. sec. for non-buffered layers, and 315 arc. sec. for buffered layers. TEM investigations show that layers grown on buffered substrates had improved microstructure defect content. Electrical transport measurements revealed that as-grown layers were ptype with Hall mobilities in excess of 0.1 m2V−1s−1.