MBE growth of MnTe/ZnTe superlattices on GaAs (1 0 0) vicinal substrates

Abstract

MnTe/ZnTe and MnSe/ZnSe superlattices are grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on GaAs(1 0 0) substrates 5°vicinal toward [ 0 1 ̄ 1 ] direction. Crystal structures, lateral lattice spacings, and atomic step arrays on the growing surface are investigated by in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED). The superlattices are grown on ZnTe or ZnSe buffer layers which are lattice relaxed with respect to the GaAs substrate and have uniform array of atomic steps on the surface. MnTe and MnSe layers grow coherently, respectively, on the ZnTe and ZnSe buffer layers and show RHEED patterns indicating a uniform array of atomic steps when their thicknesses are smaller than 1–2 ML. High-quality (MnTe/ZnTe) 60 and (MnSe/ZnSe) 60 vicinal superlattices can be prepared for the MnTe or MnSe layers thinner than 1–2 ML.