Effect of reconstruction during epitaxial growth

Abstract

Surface reconstructions are first-order phase transitions observed at the solid–vacuum interface for low index surfaces of many covalently bonded materials. It is generally held that they result in the removal of bonds dangling into vacuum from the ideal surface and in a strengthening of back bonds in the crystal. Consequently, they are also expected to occur when the crystal is growing from its own melt or some other phase into which it cannot satisfy its dangling bonds. This consideration leads to prediction of rate-of-growth and orientation-of-growth substrate effects upon the perfection of the resultant crystal. Such effects are observed in good agreement with theory in several instances.