This paper reports the results of surface microtopographic study on In
AlAs/InP heterostructures. There are many precipitates enriched in In
on the as-grown InAlAs surface and when the size of the precipitates i
s larger than a critical size of 10 mu m, they act as growth centers t
o form an eccentric multi-monomolecular growth spiral on the (100) fac
e.