Chemical epitaxy of semiconductor thin films

Epitaxial thin films of semiconductor materials are mostly formed on single crystal substrates using physical and chemical vapor phase deposition techniques. This article focuses on a much less common technique for synthesis of epitaxial thin films, chemical bath deposition (CBD) from solution, which offers a simple, inexpensive, and scalable alternative. One of the major advantages of CBD is In sequential processing, where low deposition temperatures help minimize interdiffusion. We outline the CBD pathway to epitaxial semiconductor films and provide examples for well-defined orientation relationships between film and substrate pairs in a variety of epitaxial systems. The Influence of the chemical nature, structure, and orientation of the substrate on the incipient films Is outlined, as well as the effect of parameters such as solution composition, bath temperature, and pH for controlling the film morphology and Its consequent physical properties.