Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
The nature and behavior of anti-phase-boundaries in GaAs/Si heterostructures using GaP, GaP/GaAsP and GaAsP/GaAs strained layer superlattices as intermediate buffer layers, have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy. It has been found that anti-phasedomains are very complicated three dimensional polygons consisting of several sub-boundaries in different orientations. Self-annihilation of anti-phase-domains during crystal growth of GaAs on (001)just or (001)2°off Si substrates is directly observed for the first time through planview and cross-sectional observations. Based on these findings, a mechanism of annihilation of these domains is proposed.