SURFACE-MORPHOLOGY OF METALORGANIC VAPOR-PHASE EPITAXY-GROWN INP OBSERVED BY ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPY

Steps of monolayer height (0.29 nm) were observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) after growth of a 600 nm thick epitaxial layer of InP by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy on a vicinal InP substrate. The mean terrace width of 240 nm was found to be similar to that on a vicinal InP substrate annealed at the growth temperature. The growth mode was consistent with the Burton-Cabrera-Frank (BCF) theory and the steps were ''morphologically stable'' during growth.