Elastic relaxation phenomena in compressive Ga0.2In0.8As grown on (001) and (113)B InP at low lattice mismatch

Compressively strained layers of Ga0.2In0.8As were grown on InP(0 0 1) and (1 1 3)B by gas source MBE (lattice mismatch of 1.8%). For a growth tempera ture of 500 degrees C, islands were obtained on the (1 1 3)B substrate. On the (0 0 1) substrate, the deposit formed a quasi-2D layer hollowed by isol ated valleys. At higher growth temperature, single wires had begun to devel op between adjacent valleys. It is shown that the direct formation of 3D is lands is favoured on (1 1 3)B because they can be bounded by low index face ts, while on (0 0 1) the formation of valleys in a 2D layer appears as a pr ecursor state of a 3D morphology. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.