Atomic surface structure of MOVPE-prepared GaP(1 1 1)B

Abstract Controlling the surface formation of the group-V face of (1 1 1)-oriented III-V semiconductors is crucial for subsequent successful growth of III-V nanowires for electronic and optoelectronic applications. With a view to preparing GaP/Si(1 1 1) virtual substrates, we investigate the atomic structure of the MOVPE (metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy)-prepared GaP(1 1 1)B surface (phosphorus face). We find that upon high-temperature annealing in the H2-based MOVPE process ambience, the surface is phosphorus-depleted, as evidenced by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). However, a combination of density functional theory calculations and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) suggests the formation of a partially H-terminated phosphorus surface, where the STM contrast is due to electrons tunneling from non-terminated dangling bonds of the phosphorus face. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveals that a high proportion of the surface is covered by islands, which are confirmed as Ga-rich by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). We conclude that the STM images of the samples after high-temperature annealing only reflect the flat regions of the partially H-terminated phosphorus face, whereas an increasing coverage with Ga-rich islands, as detected by AFM and AES, forms upon annealing and underlies the higher proportion of Ga in the XPS measurements.