Résumé
The co-integration of group III-V and group IV semiconductors via heterogeneous epitaxy is of major interest for applications in integrated photonics and solar energy. In the 1980s, pioneering work by H. Kroemer [1] identified the main challenges associated with III-V/Si epitaxial growth. However, recent experimental studies have revealed inconsistencies with this early understanding [2]. In this work, we combine advanced epitaxial growth techniques, in situ microscopy, and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the role of surfaces and interfaces in the Volmer-Weber growth of III-V monodomain islands on silicon. We predict and observe in situ the equilibrium shapes of these islands, and examine their influence on the formation and propagation of antiphase boundaries (APBs) [2–8]. Particular attention is given to the chemical mismatch at the III-V/Si interface, which significantly affects charge distribution between the two materials. We then provide experimental evidence that APBs originate from the coalescence of monodomain islands and highlight the critical role of substrate miscut in breaking surface symmetry [8–10]. Finally, we demonstrate how these insights enable control over the spatial distribution of antiphase domains, and we present the experimental realization of a quasi-periodic one-dimensional APB pattern in a GaAs layer grown on Si [10]. These findings are discussed considering their implications for future device development [11].[1] H. Kroemer, J. Cryst. Growth, 1987, 81, 193 [2] I. Lucci et al., Phys. Rev. Mater., 2018, 2, 060401(R).[3] D. Gupta et al., Appl. Surf. Sci., 2024, 678, 161076.[4] S. Pallikkara Chandrasekharan et al., Phys. Rev. B, 2023, 108, 075305.[5] O. Romanyuk et al., Phys. Rev. B, 2016, 94, 155309.[6] S. Pallikkara Chandrasekharan et al., Phys. Rev. B, 2024, 109 (4), 045304.[7] I. Lucci et al., Adv. Funct. Mater., 2018, 28, 1801585.[8] C. Cornet et al., Phys. Rev. Mater., 2020, 4, 053401.[9] M. Rio Calvo et al., Adv. Electron. Mater., 2022, 8, 2100777.[10] A. Gilbert et al., Adv. Optical Mater., 2023, 2203050.[11] L. Chen et al., Adv. Science, 2022, 9, 2, 2101661.