The Heteronucleation of and Defect Generation in MBE-Grown InAs Layers

ABSTRACTEpitaxial InAs layers were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on GaAs substrates. The initial stages of nucleation were studied by in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED). Cross-sectional TEM examination was used to investigate the morphology of the growing layer, while plan-view examination revealed the generation of misfit dislocations. The growth mode was found to depend mainly on the conditions used to nucleate the epitaxial layer. In most cases, Stranski-Krastanov type of growth was observed.