Systematics of interfacial chemical reactions on InP(110)

The room temperature chemical reactions of noble metals (Ag, Au, Cu), some transitions metals (Ni, Pd), and Al with the InP(110) surface have been studied using surface sensitive core level photoemission spectroscopy and photon beam excited Auger spectroscopy. It is shown that chemical reactions on InP are largely similar to the reactions of these metals with GaAs and Si surfaces. Metals that react with Si to produce phosphides also produce phosphides with similar types of chemical bonding. Silver overlayers give rise to the most abrupt interface with InP as is also the case for the nonreactive Ag–Si system. The kinetic limitations of the room temperature reaction and the types of overlayer growth are also considered.