Surface morphology of metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy grown strained-layer InxGa1−xAs on GaAs observed by atomic force microscopy

30 January 1995

journal article
research article
Published by AIP Publishing in Applied Physics Letters

Vol. 66 (5) , 604-606
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.114027

Abstract

We have studied the surface morphology and growth mechanism of metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy grown strained‐layer In_xGa_1−xAs (x=0.2 or 0.5) on GaAs with atomic force microscopy. Morphological instability of monolayer steps was observed on a 10 nm thick strained‐layer In_0.2Ga_0.8As. Three‐dimensional (3D) growth was observed for x=0.5 when grown at 650 °C. By lowering the growth temperature to 600 °C, the growth mode is 2‐D for 5 nm films (x=0.5). Monolayer steps and 2D islands can be seen. Increasing the layer thickness to 7.5 nm at 600 °C caused the growth of 3D islands and the generation of misfit dislocations.

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