Characterization of amino acid adlayers on InAs surfaces using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Removal of surface oxide layers and the prevention of their reformation is an essential step in the use of III-V semiconductor technologies. Highlighted here are data exploring the use of amino acid (AA) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) to block the pre-growth of oxides on indium arsenide surfaces. Three different AAs were used: lysine, aspartic acid, and cysteine. The adlayers were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman, and angle resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS). AFM data suggest that the AA functional groups affect the packing and orientation of the molecules on the surfaces, reinforced by contact angle data. Raman data provide proof that the type of functional group alters the intensity of the unscreened LO phonon, resulting in an electrostatic stabilization, in the case of lysine, which lends to the case of electrostatic interactions blocking oxide formation. ARXPS demonstrated that the degree of oxide blocking is dependent upon the type of functional group and further verifies inferences made from the Raman spectra. The degree of monolayer formation is also determined from this data. It is concluded that AA's can be useful means for blocking oxide growth on InAs (1 0 0) surfaces, which also provides insights into how protein and peptide side chains might interact with such surfaces.