Formation of P precipitates during annealing of InP grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy at low temperature

We have studied by transmission electron microscopy the structural changes that take place in monocrystalline InP grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy at low temperature upon annealing at about 600 °C. It is shown that the partial relaxation of the crystal which is observed by x rays is due to the formation of small precipitates (3–7 nm). Electron diffraction experiments show that the structure of these precipitates is cubic with a simple cube-to-cube orientation relationship with the substrate. Most probably, these precipitates are of alpha-white cubic P which is known to be insulating.