MICROSTRUCTURES AND CRITICAL THICKNESSES OF INXGA1-XAS GAAS STRAINED-LAYER STRUCTURES

The development of structural defects in InxGa1-xAs/GaAs strained-laye r structures, grown by molecular beam epitaxy, was investigated by tra nsmission electron microscopy. Three different critical layer thicknes ses, corresponding to the formation of three different types of defect s, were observed with increasing thicknesses of the strained layers. T hese defects were: rough interfacial topographies resulting from an on set of three-dimensional growth for the InxGa1-x layers; misfit disloc ations of the 60-degrees mixed type; and dislocation complexes consist ing of planar defects on {111} planes.