On the (110) orientation as the preferred orientation for the molecular beam epitaxial growth of GaAs on Ge, GaP on Si, and similar zincblende-on-diamond systems

Recent successful (110) growth of GaAs on Ge has prompted a reevaluation of the (110) orientation for the MBE growth of zincblende-on-diamond–type heterostructures. It is argued that the atomic geometry at a (110) interface should be particularly favorable for defect-free heteroepitaxy in such systems, for two reasons: (a) Recent work by Harrison et al. has shown that interfaces other than (110) interfaces in such systems must reconstruct. Such reconstruction will be incomplete, leaving behind hard-to-control interface charges. (b) The free-surface reconstruction of the diamond-structure (110) surface is such that it should favor subsequent growth of zincblende structures without antiphase domain boundaries.