Effects of growth conditions on the GaAs/AlAs superlattices by grazing incidence X-ray reflectivity.

The effects of growth conditions on the structural properties of the GaAs/AlAs superlattices were investigated by grazing incidence X-ray reflectivity (GIXRR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The GaAs/AlAs superlattices were prepared by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) at different growth temperatures (500 degrees C, 600 degrees C and 660 degrees C) and growth rates (1.0 microm/h and 0.7 microm/h for GaAs). And the thicknesses, surface/interface roughnesses and densities of the GaAs/AlAs superlattices were obtained by GIXRR by fitting the whole spectral reflectance curves based on the Parratt recurrence formula. The homogeneity of samples was also studied at different growth conditions. The results indicate that the superlattices grown at a high temperature and large growth rate ratio (rate of AlAs to that of GaAs) possess better structure and more homogeneity.