INTERFACE MORPHOLOGY STUDIES OF LIQUID-PHASE EPITAXY-GROWN HGCDTE FILMS BY ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPY

In this paper we report an investigation of the morphology of the inte rfaces of liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) grown HgCdTe thin films on CdTe a nd CdZnTe substrates by atomic force microscopy (AFM) on freshly cleav ed (110) crystallographic planes. An empirical observation which may b e linked to lattice mismatch was indicated by an angle between the cle avage steps of the substrate to those of the film. Te precipitates wit h size ranging from 5 nm to 20 nm were found to be most apparent near the interface.