Lattice contraction due to carbon doping of GaAs grown by metalorganic molecular beam epitaxy

Epitaxial layers of GaAs have been grown by metalorganic molecular beam epitaxy (MOMBE) with atomic carbon concentrations ranging from 4×10 17 to 3.5×1020 cm -3. The dependences of GaAs lattice parameter and hole concentration on atomic carbon concentration have been determined from x-ray diffraction, Hall effect, and secondary-ion mass spectrometry measurements. For atomic carbon concentrations in excess of 1×1019 cm-3, the hole concentrations are less than the corresponding atomic carbon concentrations. Lattice parameter shifts as large as 0.2% are observed for carbon concentrations in excess of 1×10 20 cm-3, which results in misfit dislocation generation in some cases due to the lattice mismatch between the C-doped epilayer and undoped substrate. Over the entire range of carbon concentrations investigated, Vegard's law accurately predicts the observed lattice contraction.