Layer-by-layer growth of GaAs studied by glancing angle scattering of fast ions

Abstract

Angular distribution of scattered ions at glancing angle incidence of 3 keV He ions on a (001) surface of GaAs is studied during its molecular beam epitaxial growth. We report observation of intensity oscillations of the scattered ions from the growing surface. The period of the oscillations corresponds to the growth time of one monomolecular layer. The oscillations of the intensity is due to the oscillatory change in surface step density during layer-by-layer growth of the surface. This observation is in agreement with the intensity oscillations of reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) from epitaxially growing surface of GaAs.