GaAs epitaxy on Si substrates: modern status of research and engineering

While silicon and gallium arsenide are dominant materials in modern micro- and nanoelectronics, devices fabricated from them still use Si and GaAs substrates only separately. Integrating these materials on the (highest effeciency) substrate of Si has been the subject of much research effort for more than twenty years. This review systematizes and generalizes the current understanding of the fundamental physical mechanisms governing the epitaxial growth of GaAs and its related III–V compounds on Si substrates. Basic techniques avilable for improving the quality of such heterostructures are described, and recent advances in fabricating device-quality A$^{\mathrm{III}}$B$^{\mathrm{V}}$/Si heterostructures and devices on their bases are also presented.