Molecular beam epitaxial growth of GaAs on silicon and silicon on sapphire incorporating a low temperature buffer

GaAs has been grown by molecular‐beam epitaxy on both silicon and silicon on sapphire. The incorporation of a low temperature buffer has reduced the film stress from 3.0 to 2.2 kbar for GaAs grown on silicon. However, films stress can be completely removed for growth of GaAs with the incorporation of the low temperature buffer when grown on silicon on sapphire (SOS). The orientation dependence of GaAs grown on SOS has been investigated by growing on orientations slightly off axis from the (100) in the [011] direction by 2°, 4°, and 6°. X‐ray, mobility and photoluminescence measurements have been made, showing that growth on 6° misoriented SOS produces nearly stress free films, with materials properties similar to those of GaAs on silicon, and mobilities six times higher than those of GaAs grown on on‐axis (100) SOS. Metal–semiconductor field effect transistors (MESFETs) have been fabricated on GaAs on silicon showing device characteristics comparable to those of GaAs on GaAs.