By considering lattice stresses arising from linear monatomic steps on a slightly misoriented surface, a theory was developed of surface energy as a function of misorientation from a singular surface. An energetically attractive step interaction was obtained. The stability of vicinal surfaces with respect to singular terrace formation was investigated in view of this theory and morphological instabilities with low-angle features (terraces, hillocks, pyramids) were found to be probable for (100) and (111) diamond-type and zincblende semiconductor surfaces. A theorem of first-order kinetics was derived to relate surface energy and crystal growth rate as a function of small misorientations. This theorem permitted comparison between theory (on surface energy) and experiments (on VPE GaAs growth rate). Good agreement was obtained, within experimental error, for misorientations within 4.5° of (100) GaAs.

Surface Dislocation Theory of Reconstructed Crystals - VPE GaAs. D.L.Rode: Physica Status Solidi A, 1975, 32[2], 425-34