GaAs-on-Si: a GaAs IC manufacturer´s perspective

The performance, yield, and reliability of GaAs ICs (integrated circuits) fabricated on OMCVD (organometallic chemical-vapor-deposition)-grown GaAs-on-Si substrates are described. These substrates were used to fabricate MSI-level digital ICs (integrated circuits) in a manufacturing environment. They were processed together with LEC (liquid-encapsulated Czochralski)-grown GaAs wafers to provide a direct comparison with bulk material. Initial evaluations of devices and circuits suggest that it is realistic to believe that GaAs-on-Si substrates can be a viable alternative to LEC-grown GaAs materials. In addition, a two-part reliability study has demonstrated that GaAs-on-Si parts have no liabilities in terms of parametric instability or catastrophic failure mechanisms. However, there are epitaxial growth conditions which must be optimized further to obtain performance which is not inferior to bulk GaAs materials.<>