D. M. Kazantsev, I. O. Akhundov, V. L. Alperovich, N. L. Shwartz, A. S. Kozhukhov, A. V. Latyshev, “Thermal smoothing and roughening of GaAs surfaces: experiment and Monte Carlo simulation”, Fizika i Tekhnika Poluprovodnikov, 2018, Volume 52, Issue 5,Page 514

This article is cited in 6 papers

XXV International Symposium ''Nanostructures: Physics and Technology'', Saint Petersburg, June 26-30, 2017
Nanostructure Technology

Thermal smoothing and roughening of GaAs surfaces: experiment and Monte Carlo simulation

D. M. Kazantsev^ab, I. O. Akhundov^ab, V. L. Alperovich^ab, N. L. Shwartz^ac, A. S. Kozhukhov^a, A. V. Latyshev^ab

^a Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, Siberian of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
^b Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
^c Novosibirsk State Technical University, 630073 Novosibirsk, Russia

Abstract: GaAs thermal smoothing at temperatures $T\le$ 650$^\circ$C in the conditions close to equilibrium yields surfaces with atomically smooth terraces separated by steps of monatomic height. At higher temperatures surface smoothing is changed to roughening. Possible reasons of surface roughening at elevated temperatures are studied by means of Monte Carlo simulation and compared with the experimental results on GaAs. It is proved that GaAs roughening at elevated temperatures is caused by kinetic instabilities due to deviations from equilibrium towards growth or sublimation. The microscopic mechanisms of kinetic-driven roughening are discussed.

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