Systematic study of the surface morphology of ordered (GaIn)P

The surface morphology of CuPtB-type ordered (GaIn)P, lattice-matched grown on (001)GaAs by low-pressure MOVPE, was systematically investigated by mea ns of atomic force microscopy. Since surface steps, e.g, provided by differ ent misorientations of the substrates, are known to affect the ordering beh aviour, the superstep distances and heights are examined in order to correl ate the surface structure to the existing ordering. In order to correlate b oth surface morphology and ordering, experiments have been performed varyin g the growth parameters and the partial pressure of the phosphorous precurs ors phosphine (PH3), tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) and ditertiarybutylphosph ine (DitBuPH), and finally the Zn doping concentration. From these results, in addition to previously reported data [S.H. Lee, G.B. Stringfellow, J. A ppl. Phys. 83 (1998) 3620], generally valid dependencies for the superstep distances, superstep heights, and the degree of ordering are derived and in terpreted. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.