Role of surface energy and surface reconstructions on the 2D-to-3D growth-mode transition of strained In x Ga 1-x As layers on InP(001)

Michel Gendry (1) , G. Grenet (1) , Y. Robach (1) , P Krapf (1) , L. Porte (1) , G. Hollinger (1)

1 LEAME - Laboratoire d'électronique, automatique et mesures électriques

We show that the role played by surface energy in the total-energy balance between the initial twodimensional ~2D! state and the final three-dimensional ~3D! state is of prime importance to explain morphologies observed during the molecular-beam epitaxy growth of strained materials. This was established by analyzing differences in 2D-3D transition onsets for 2% mismatched InxGa12xAs films grown on InP~001! substrates when changing the mismatch sign ~compression or tension!, the film doping, and the type of surface stabilization ~anion or cation!. The 2D-3D onsets were measured by reflection high-energy electron diffraction and the corresponding surface morphologies characterized by scanning tunneling microscopy

Domaines: Science des matériaux [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]; Micro et nanotechnologies/Microélectronique

Michel Gendry, G. Grenet, Y. Robach, P Krapf, L. Porte, et al.. Role of surface energy and surface reconstructions on the 2D-to-3D growth-mode transition of strained In x Ga 1-x As layers on InP(001). Physical Review B: Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (1998-2015), 1997, 56 (15), pp.9271-9274. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevB.56.9271⟩. ⟨hal-02195176⟩