Observation of antiphase domain boundaries in GaAs on silicon by transmission electron microscopy

Boundaries between different antiphase domains have been unambiguously identified in heteroepitaxial GaAs on silicon substrates by transmission electron microscopy. A simple and reliable method is described for assessing the presence or absence of these domain boundaries in GaAs. The domain size was found to be as small as ∼0.1 μm in GaAs that had been grown on nominal Si(001) in which a buried, implanted oxide had been previously formed. These boundaries are expected to degrade electrical performance and device reliability modify electronic transport and degrade device performance.