Methods for depositing a layer including group iii and group v elements on a silicon substrate

A method for depositing a layer comprising elements of main groups III and V on a substrate (6) having a silicon (Si) surface, the method comprising:

• a. providing a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor with a gas inlet element (1) for an injection of reactive gases into a process chamber (2) of the CVD reactor, which has a heating device (3) for heating a susceptor (4), and a gas outlet element (5) for removing decomposition products of the reactive gases from the process chamber (2);
• b. providing a cleaning gas (8), which is configured to chemically react at a cleaning temperature with metal-containing residues, on surfaces of the process chamber (2) to form a gas (12) containing the metal-containing residues;
• c. providing a carbon-containing reactive gas (11) that does not contain any metal;
• d. providing a first gaseous starting material (9), which contains an element of main group III, and a second gaseous starting material (10), which contains an element of main group V;
• e. heating the surfaces of the process chamber (2) to a cleaning temperature;
• f. injecting the cleaning gas (8) into the process chamber (2), and removing the metal-containing residues through the gas outlet element (5) by the formation of the gas (12) containing the metal-containing residues;
• g. purging the process chamber (2) with an inert gas (13);
• h. loading the susceptor (4) with at least one substrate (6) made of silicon;
• i. heating the substrate (6) up to a first temperature;
• j. injecting the carbon-containing reactive gas (11) into the process chamber (2), and executing a chemical reaction of the carbon-containing gas (11) with the Si surface of the substrate (6) to form an SiC surface on the substrate (6);
• k. heating the substrate (6) up to a second temperature;
• l. depositing a III-V layer on the SiC surface by the injection of the first and second gaseous starting materials (9, 10) into the process chamber (2),
• whereby all steps are executed in succession in the process chamber (2), and the steps j, k and l are executed in immediate succession.