REVERSIBILITY OF THE ELEMENTARY MECHANISMS OF ATOMIC-LAYER EPITAXY AND SUBLIMATION OF (001)CDTE

By analyzing the intensity of reflection high-energy electron diffract ion, two different regimes have been found for two successive Te adsor ption steps in atomic-layer-epitaxy (ALE) growth of (001) CdTe self-re gulated at 0.5 ML per ALE cycle. These two regimes are associated with displacements of the underlying Cd atoms either in their plane or wit h a jump down to the lower plane. Analogous phenomena have been observ ed for the Te desorption during the sublimation of (001) CdTe, showing that the elementary mechanisms involved in sublimation are comparable but inverse to the elementary mechanisms involved in ALE.