Wet Chemical Functionalization of III–V Semiconductor Surfaces: Alkylation of Gallium Arsenide and Gallium Nitride by a Grignard Reaction Sequence

Abstract

Crystalline gallium arsenide (GaAs) (111)­A and gallium nitride (GaN) (0001) surfaces have been functionalized with alkyl groups via a sequential wet chemical chlorine activation, Grignard reaction process. For GaAs(111)­A, etching in HCl in diethyl ether effected both oxide removal and surface-bound Cl. X-ray photoelectron (XP) spectra demonstrated selective surface chlorination after exposure to 2 M HCl in diethyl ether for freshly etched GaAs(111)­A but not GaAs(111)B surfaces. GaN(0001) surfaces exposed to PCl₅ in chlorobenzene showed reproducible XP spectroscopic evidence for Cl-termination. The Cl-activated GaAs(111)­A and GaN(0001) surfaces were both reactive toward alkyl Grignard reagents, with pronounced decreases in detectable Cl signal as measured by XP spectroscopy. Sessile contact angle measurements between water and GaAs(111)­A interfaces after various levels of treatment showed that GaAs(111)­A surfaces became significantly more hydrophobic following reaction with C_<i>n</i>H_{2<i>n</i>–1}MgCl (<i>n</i> = 1, 2, 4, 8, 14, 18). High-resolution As 3d XP spectra taken at various times during prolonged direct exposure to ambient lab air indicated that the resistance of GaAs(111)­A to surface oxidation was greatly enhanced after reaction with Grignard reagents. GaAs(111)­A surfaces terminated with C₁₈H₃₇ groups were also used in Schottky heterojunctions with Hg. These heterojunctions exhibited better stability over repeated cycling than heterojunctions based on GaAs(111)­A modified with C₁₈H₃₇S groups. Raman spectra were separately collected that suggested electronic passivation by surficial Ga–C bonds at GaAs(111)­A. Specifically, GaAs(111)­A surfaces reacted with alkyl Grignard reagents exhibited Raman signatures comparable to those of samples treated with 10% Na₂S in <i>tert</i>-butanol. For GaN(0001), high-resolution C 1s spectra exhibited the characteristic low binding energy shoulder demonstrative of surface Ga–C bonds following reaction with CH₃MgCl. In addition, 4-fluorophenyl groups were attached and detected after reaction with C₆H₄FMgBr, further confirming the susceptibility of Cl-terminated GaN(0001) to surface alkylation. However, the measured hydrophobicities of alkyl-terminated GaAs(111)­A and GaN(0001) were markedly distinct, indicating differences in the resultant surface layers. The results presented here, in conjunction with previous studies on GaP, show that atop Ga atoms at these crystallographically related surfaces can be deliberately functionalized and protected through Ga–C surface bonds that do not involve thiol/sulfide chemistry or gas-phase pretreatments