Reversal in the growth or dissolution of III-V heterostructures by liquid phase epitaxy

Abstract

It is shown, by simulation, that two classes of system exist in the formation of heterostructures by liquid phase epitaxy which we had not previously considered fully. In these, the initial tendency of the system of solid and solution to either grow (due to a supersaturated solution) or dissolve (due to an undersaturated solution) is reversed, if the tendency for the combination of nonequilibrium solid and the saturated solution is either to dissolve or grow, respectively. In particular, a simulation is applied to the case of an undersaturated solution in the Ga-In-As system in contact with a GaAs wafer to show that the resulting solution becomes supersaturated; this is in agreement with experimental observations.