The coalescence of ELO layers of In_xGa_1-xAs grown on patterned (111) GaAs by liquid phase epitaxy

InxGa1-xAs (x = 0.06) epitaxial lateral overgrown (ELO) layers were grown on (111)B GaAs patterned substrates covered with SiNx masks by liquid phase epitaxy. The thickness of the ELO layer with a { 111} A growth front was found to decrease as the growth progressed. On the other hand, for the ELO layer with a { 111} B growth front, this kind of decrease of thickness was found to be very small. When the layers with different growth fronts ({ 111} A and { 111} B) coalesced, dislocations were found to be generated. In the case of the coalesced ELO layers which were in constant contact with the basal SiNx mask, the surface became concave due to the decrease of thickness of the layers. This problem of decrease of thickness was not observed when a large enough void structure was present in the grown ELO layers of InGaAs.