THE STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF VICINAL CDTE(100) SURFACES

Reconstructions of clean CdTe(100) surfaces and CdTe(100) surfaces mis oriented toward the (110) plane by 2 degrees, 4 degrees and 6 degrees, were investigated by low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The c(2 x 2) reconstruction was observed on all CdTe(100) surfaces investigated after Ar+ sputtering and annea ling at 700 K. LEED from the misoriented surfaces exhibited diffractio n patterns with split spots, which indicated that those surfaces have stable stepped surface structures. Steps with edges toward the (110) p lane have a height of two interplanar distances (one-half the lattice spacing) of the (100) plane. AES results showed that all the misorient ed CdTe(100) surfaces are Cd-stabilized. A surface structure model for the stepped surfaces of misoriented CdTe(100) is proposed.