Halide Dopant Process For Producing Semi-insulating Group III-V Regions For Semiconductor Devices

A process for growing semi-insulating layers of indium phosphide and other group III-V materials through the use of halide dopant or etchant introduction during growth. Gas phase epitaxial growth techniques are utilized at low temperatures to produce indium phosphide layers having a resistivity greater than approximately 10.sup.7 ohm-cm. According to the preferred embodiment carbon tetrachloride is used as a dopant at flow rates above 5 sccm to grow the layers with substrate growth temperatures ranging from approximately 460.degree. C. to 525.degree. C. This temperature range provides an advantage over the transition metal techniques for doping indium phosphide since the high temperatures generally required for those techniques limit the ability to control growth. Good surface morphology is also obtained through the growth according to the present invention. The process may be used to form many types of group III-V semiconductor devices.