Growth of GaInTlAs alloys on InP by low temperature molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract Growth of GaInTlAs alloys on InP has been attempted by solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Thallium atoms segregate into droplets on the surface at growth temperatures higher than 270°C and evaporate at temperatures higher than 350°C. Only in the low temperature range (180–270°C) can thallium be incorporated in some conditions, leading generally to twinned or polycrystalline layers. A narrow window for single-crystalline growth has been found for low Tl contents (4%) using optimized growth conditions.