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Investigation of interfacial roughness of In sub x Ga sub 1 minus x As epitaxial layers on GaAs and InP substrates by soft x-ray reflectivity

Journal Article · · Journal of Applied Physics; (USA)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.347338· OSTI ID:6191641
; ; ; ; ;  [1]; ; ; ; ;  [2]
  1. Department of Physics, State University of New York at Buffalo, New York 14260 (US)
  2. Physics Division, Research Department, Naval Weapons Center, China Lake, California 93555 (US)

The grazing incidence x-ray reflectivity is a nondestructive and sensitive technique for probing the depth profile of electron density in layered structures. This method has been utilized in the soft x-ray regime to determine the roughness of interfaces, and the epilayer thickness in In{sub {ital x}}Ga{sub 1{minus}{ital x}}As/InP and In{sub {ital x}}Ga{sub 1{minus}{ital x}}As/GaAs heterostructures, for {ital x}=0.57 and {ital x}=0.60, grown by molecular beam epitaxy. By fitting the experimental results to our model, assuming uncorrelated interfacial roughness, we conclude that the top surface roughness does not depend on the type of the substrate or presence of stress in the epilayer, and is always smaller than interfacial roughness. The main factors which control the interfacial roughness are the quality of substrate and/or growth conditions rather than strain or lattice mismatch.

DOE Contract Number:
FG02-87ER45283
OSTI ID:
6191641
Journal Information:
Journal of Applied Physics; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics; (USA) Vol. 69:2; ISSN 0021-8979; ISSN JAPIA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English