TOP EDGE FACET DEVELOPMENT IN ASYMMETRIC GROOVES

The low pressure (20 mbar) organometallic vapour phase epitaxy (LP-OMV PE) of GaAs/GaInP in asymmetric grooves, patterned on ((1) over bar 11 )B GaAs substrates, has been examined. One of the characteristic featu res of this deposition is that facets develop along the top edges wher e the side wall planes meet the top surface. The origin of small facet s at the top edge appears to be due to pre-growth conditions. The deve lopment of these facets were found to be related to large relative gro wth rate differences of the GaAs buffer layer deposition on adjacent p lanes with different crystallographic orientations.