Self-organized superlattice formation in II-VI and III-V semiconductors

TL;DR

This paper proposes an atomistic model explaining spontaneous superlattice formation in II-VI and III-V semiconductors, predicting how temperature, flux, and miscut influence layer thickness and structure.

Contribution

It introduces a novel atomistic mechanism and a predictive relation for superlattice formation, aligning with experimental observations and explaining critical miscut angles.

Findings

Predicts superlattice layer thickness dependence on temperature, flux, and miscut.

Explains existence of a critical miscut angle for superlattice formation.

Forecasts platelet structure formation on high symmetry surfaces.

Abstract

There is extensive recent experimental evidence of spontaneous superlattice (SL) formation in various II-VI and III-V semiconductors. Here we propose an atomistic mechanism responsible for SL formation, and derive a relation predicting the temperature, flux and miscut dependence of the SL layer thickness. Moreover, the model explains the existence of a critical miscut angle below which no SL is formed, in agreement with results on ZnSeTe, and predicts the formation of a platelet structure for deposition onto high symmetry surfaces, similar to that observed in InAsSb.