Growth mode and strain relaxation during the initial stage of InxGa1−xAs growth on GaAs(001)

The growth mode and relaxation of the misfit strain of thin InxGa1−xAs layers grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on GaAs(001) were studied by plan-view transmission electron microscopy. The indium concentration was varied between x=0.13 and x=1.0. The transition from two-dimensional to island growth was found at x=0.4. The island growth mode is characterized by islands of different sizes in various states of strain relaxation which is determined by the density of misfit dislocations at the interface.