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Title: Electron microscopy of an aluminum layer grown on the vicinal surface of a gallium arsenide substrate

Journal Article · · Semiconductors
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. National Research University of Electronic Technology “MIET” (Russian Federation)
  2. Russian Academy of Sciences, Lebedev Physical Institute (Russian Federation)
  3. Universität Göttingen, IV. Physikalisches Institut (Germany)

A thin Al layer grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on a misoriented GaAs (100) substrate is studied by transmission electron microscopy. Electron diffraction data and bright-field, dark-field, and high-resolution images show that, in the layer, there are Al grains of three types of crystallographic orientation: Al (100), Al (110), and Al (110)R. The specific structural features of the interfaces between the differently oriented grains and substrate are studied by digital processing of the high-resolution images. From quantitative analysis of the dark-field images, the relative content and sizes of the differently oriented grains are determined. It is found that atomic steps at the substrate surface cause an increase in the fraction and sizes of Al (110)R grains and a decrease in the fraction of Al (100) grains, compared to the corresponding fractions and sizes in the layer grown on a singular substrate surface.

OSTI ID:
22470049
Journal Information:
Semiconductors, Vol. 49, Issue 3; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2015 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-7826
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English