EFFECT OF INTERFACE ON THE SPINODAL DECOMPOSITION OF GAINPAS SOLID-SOLUTIONS DURING LIQUID-PHASE HETEROEPITAXY

The area of thermodynamical instability in non-ideal solutions appears below a critical temperature. On exceeding this temperature, the exce ssive energy of the solution takes positive values. It means that the repulsive forces acting between solution elements begin to dominate wh ich leads to the spinodal decomposition. In the present paper, the eff ect of interatomic interactions on the limits of spinodal decompositio n of substitutional solutions of Ga-In-P-As compounds was examined. Th e influence of the interface energy on the nature of spinodal decompos ition was also analysed within the approximation of the coherent coupl ing of phases during heteroepitaxy from the liquid phase. It was demon strated that the energy of elastic deformation of the interface lattic e markedly changed conditions of the thermodynamical equilibrium.