A reduction of extended defects in II-VI heterostructures, which were grown onto (001)GaAs by using molecular beam epitaxy, was achieved by using BeTe buffer layers. After chemical etching, 3 different types of etch pit could be observed under optical microscopy. By using a thin BeTe buffer layer, the density of paired Frank-type stacking faults could be sharply reduced; to values below 103/cm2. The role played by Se in defect nucleation at the II-VI/GaAs interface was significant.

F.Fischer, M.Keller, T.Gerhard, T.Behr, T.Litz, H.J.Lugauer, M.Keim, G.Reuscher, T.Baron, A.Waag, G.Landwehr: Journal of Applied Physics, 1998, 84[3], 1650-4