Comparative study of the growth processes of GaAs, AlGaAs, InGaAs, and InAlAs lattice matched and nonlattice matched semiconductors using high‐energy electron diffraction

We have examined the effect of growth temperature and growth interruption time on molecular‐beam‐epitaxial growth of GaAs, Al_0.3Ga_0.7As, and In_xGa_1−xAs on GaAs substrates and In_0.53Ga_0.47As and In_0.52Al_0.48As on InP substrates using dynamical reflection high‐energy electron diffraction as an in situ probe. We have studied the time taken for a rough growth front to recover in the absence of growth as a function of growth temperature for these compounds. It is found that while GaAs and InGaAs surfaces can recover in 15–20 s under ideal growth conditions, Al_0.3Ga_0.7As surfaces take ≊45 s, and In_0.52Al_0.48As surfaces take several minutes to recover. Our results also suggest that smoothening of the growth front occurs by rearrangement of the surface atoms, rather than by re‐evaporation. We have also studied the effect of strain induced by mismatch on growth modes in the case of In_xGa_1−xAs on GaAs. Our studies suggest that the presence of strain inhibits the surface migration of adatoms during growth and thus tends to generate a rougher growth front.