An extension of the high-energy electron reflection diffraction oscillation technique to vicinal surfaces provided a method for studying surface diffusion during molecular beam epitaxial growth. Results for Ga diffusion during the growth of GaAs films with (001) 2 x 4 and 3 x 1 reconstructed surfaces were presented. It was found that the results could be described by:

D (cm2/s) = 8.5 x 10-6 exp[-1.3(eV)/kT]

A more quantitative evaluation could be made by systematically varying the orientation, and thus the terrace width.

J.H.Neave, P.J.Dobson, B.A.Joyce, J.Zhang: Applied Physics Letters, 1985, 47[2], 100-2

The best linear fits to the solute diffusion data ([46] to [92]) yield:

Be: Ln[Do] = 0.40E – 26.7 (R2 = 0.75); Cd: Ln[Do] = 0.55E – 50 (R2 = 0.61);

Co: Ln[Do] = 0.12E – 3.8 (R2 = 0.06); Fe: Ln[Do] = 0.36E – 20.2 (R2 = 0.66)

Ga: Ln[Do] = 0.19E – 15.5 (R2 = 0.79); S: Ln[Do] = 0.46E – 29.9 (R2 = 0.99)

Si: Ln[Do] = 0.43E – 31.6 (R2 = 0.42); Zn: Ln[Do] = 0.52E – 29.9 (R2 = 0.90)