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Virtual-surfactant-induced wetting in strained-layer heteroepitaxy

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Abstract

We show that surface stoichiometry and growth mode are intimately related for heteroepitaxy of InAs on GaO0.47In0.53As. Under As-stable conditions during molecular beam epitaxy, the high strain of the InAs film induces a morphological phase-transition from layer-by-layer to island nucleation. In contrast, under In-stable conditions without direct As4 flux, islanding is inhibited. The In-stabilized surface imposes limitations to the migration of both As and In adatoms and forces layer-by-layer nucleation, thus acting as a virtual surfactant.

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Author notes

  1. E. Tournié & K. H. Ploog

    Present address: Fachbereich Materialwissenschaft, Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, W-6100, Darmstadt, Germany

  2. O. Brandt

    Present address: Central Research Laboratory, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Amagasaki, 661, Hyogo, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Heisenbergstrasse 1, W-7000, Stuttgart 80, Germany

    E. Tournié, O. Brandt & K. H. Ploog

  2. Max-Planck-Institut für Metallforschung, Heisenbergstrasse 1, W-7000, Stuttgart 80, Germany

    M. Hohenstein

Authors
  1. E. Tournié
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  2. O. Brandt
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  3. K. H. Ploog
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  4. M. Hohenstein
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Tournié, E., Brandt, O., Ploog, K.H. et al. Virtual-surfactant-induced wetting in strained-layer heteroepitaxy. Appl. Phys. A 56, 91–94 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00351909

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00351909

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