The microstructure and micromorphology of V-shaped defects in (301) and (112) HgCdTe layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy were investigated in detail on the consecutive stages of its formation by transmission and high-resolution electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The nature of V-shaped defects in epilayers grown by molecular beam epitaxy was reported. It was shown that the nucleation of a V-shaped defects occurred on the relief perturbations and its growth was stimulated by non-optimal growth conditions. The formation of V-shaped defect begins from the capture of excess Te along the growth front at the steady-state stages of HgCdTe growth and along the irregularities on the surface of the CdTe buffer layer at the initial stages. High-resolution observations established the occurrence of elemental Te and misoriented HgCdTe grains along the macro-steps on the growth HgCdTe surface. The captured Te initiates the formation of walls with disordered structure walls extended along the growth direction and containing misoriented HgCdTe grains, Te precipitates and dislocations observed by transmission electron microscopy. While growing, vertical columns packed with stacking faults and bounded by disordered structure walls were formed. It was found that these columns could be considered as the basic part of the V-shaped defect in HgCdTe grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Due to the continual Te nucleation and twinning inside the defect area, polycrystalline growth could occur.

Nature of V-Shaped Defects in HgCdTe Epilayers Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy. I.V.Sabinina, A.K.Gutakovsky, Y.G.Sidorov, A.V.Latyshev: Journal of Crystal Growth, 2005, 274[3-4], 339-46