Computer simulations of the role of group V molecular reactions at steps during molecular beam epitaxial growth of III-V semiconductors

The Configuration Dependent Reactive Incorporation (CDRI) model is used to study the growth of III-V semiconductors by MBE. In particular, the role of the dissociative reaction of the group V molecular species from the physisorbed precursor state is studied. The model allows for the reaction to occur at pairs of vacant group V sites which are intra- or interplanar nearest neighbors on the group V sublattice. Within this model, it is shown that a relatively small number of depositions at steps can play an important role in determining the smoothness of the growth front and the effective migration length of the group III species. Conditions under which these depositions are likely to be less influential are also discussed.