Surface kinetics study of metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy of GaAs1−yBiy on offcut and mesa-patterned GaAs substrates

The influence of the surface step termination on the metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy of GaAs1−yBiy was explored by examining the epitaxial layer growth rate, composition, and morphology characteristics on the offcut and mesa-patterned (001) GaAs substrates. Vicinal surfaces offcut to (111)B with a high density of As-terminated steps ('B-steps') increased the GaAs1−yBiy layer growth rate as well as possessed the fastest lateral growth rate on mesa-patterned substrates at a growth temperature of 420 °C, indicating that B-steps enhanced the Ga incorporation. With Bi accumulation on the surface, the Ga incorporation rate was reduced by the Bi preferential presence at B-steps blocking the Ga incorporation. Vicinal surfaces offcut to (111)A, which generated Ga-terminated steps ('A-steps') enhanced the Bi incorporation rate during growth at 380 °C. This work reveals that the surface step termination plays an important role in the growth of the metastable alloy. Appropriate choices of both the substrate surface-step structure and other growth parameters could lead to an enhanced Bi incorporation.