Method of passivating semiconductor surfaces

Claim 1

A method of passivating Group III-V and II-VI semiconductor compound surfaces comprising selecting a passivating material having a lattice constant substantially mismatched to the lattice constant of said semiconductor compound, and growing an ultrathin epitaxial layer of said passivating material on the surface of said semiconductor compound to a thickness sufficient to maintain a coherent interface between said passivating material and said semiconductor compound; wherein said passivating material comprises a higher bandgap composition to form a window layer on said semiconductor compound surface; and wherein the maximum thickness of said ultrathin passivating material comprises that thickness above which dislocations begin to nucleate because of excessive strain energy between said passivating material and said semiconductor compound.

Claim 2

A method of passivating Group III-V and II-VI semiconductor compound surfaces comprising selecting a passivating material having a lattice constant substantially mismatched to the lattice constant of said semiconductor compound, and growing an ultrathin epitaxial layer of said passivating material on the surface of said semiconductor compound to a thickness sufficient to maintain a coherent interface between said passivating material and said semiconductor compound; wherein said passivating material comprises a higher bandgap composition to form a window layer on said semiconductor compound surface; and wherein the maximum thickness of said ultrathin passivating material comprises that thickness above which dislocations begin to nucleate because of excessive strain energy between said passivating material and said semiconductor compound.

Claim 7

A method of forming heterostructures of Group III-V and II-VI semiconductor materials comprising: forming a p-n junction semiconductor device from said semiconductor materials; and growing an ultrathin epitaxial layer of passivating material on the surface of said semiconductor device of sufficient thickness to maintain coherency in said passivating material, said passivating material being selected from compositions substantially lattice-mismatched to said semiconductor device; wherein said passivating material has a higher bandgap than said p-n junction semiconductor device to form a window thereon; and wherein said ultrathin layer is grown on said p-n junction semiconductor device to a thickness below which the biaxial strain between said ultrathin layer and said p-n junction device is sufficient to nucleate dislocations in the surface layer due to lattice-mismatch therebetween.

Claim 8

A method of forming heterostructures of Group III-V and II-VI semiconductor materials comprising: forming a p-n junction semiconductor device from said semiconductor materials; and growing an ultrathin epitaxial layer of passivating material on the surface of said semiconductor device of sufficient thickness to maintain coherency in said passivating material, said passivating material being selected from compositions substantially lattice-mismatched to said semiconductor device; wherein said passivating material has a higher bandgap than said p-n junction semiconductor device to form a window thereon; and wherein said ultrathin layer is grown on said p-n junction semiconductor device to a thickness below which the biaxial strain between said ultrathin layer and said p-n junction device is sufficient to nucleate dislocations in the surface layer due to lattice-mismatch therebetween.