Patent ID: 8222052

Claim:
A method for analyzing crystal growth in a group III-V semiconductor comprising: growing on a group III-V substrate comprising a compound selected from the group of GaAs, GaP, InAs, InSb and InP; depositing a group III-V buffer layer comprising one of said compounds on said substrate; heating said substrate to a temperature from about 580° C. to 650° C. and then lowering the temperature to about 400-500° C.; growing a compound semiconductor thin film layer comprising a combination of group III elements (Ga, In, Al) and group V elements (As, Sb, P) while also incorporating 15 N by injecting a nitrogen gas via a nitrogen gas injector having a concentration of enriched nitrogen gas with a concentration of 15 N greater than naturally occurring nitrogen, wherein said injector further includes an RF power source to create a plasma containing single nitrogen atoms; and analyzing the concentration of said nitrogen in said film layer by applying a proton beam to said layer and recording the intensity of the emitted gamma rays to confirm the incorporation of said nitrogen via the reaction: Proton+ 15 N→ 16 O (excited)→ 12 C+α+γ.