[en] The growth of Sb nanowires on GaSb(111)A substrates is studied by in situ azimuthal scan reflection high-energy electron diffraction (ARHEED). Bulk and layer contributions can be distinguished in the ARHEED transmission pattern through the Sb nanowires. The three-dimensional structure of the growing Sb nanowires is identified by post-growth atomic force microscopy (AFM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The lattice match of the Sb crystal along the < 2-bar 10> and the GaSb crystal along < 1-bar 10> directions lead to a preferential orientation of the Sb nanowires. The Sb adsorption and desorption kinetics is studied by thermal desorption spectroscopy. (paper)

[en] LaLuO₃ layers are epitaxially grown on Si(111) by molecular beam epitaxy using high temperature effusion sources. Samples are prepared by simultaneous as well as alternating growth of La₂O₃ and Lu₂O₃. Grazing incidence x-ray diffraction indicates that the resulting crystal structure of the alloys is cubic. Simultaneous and alternating growth with a monolayer period lead to the same distribution of La and Lu with no preferential ordering. In all cases the lattice mismatch to Si is less than 0.6%. The experimental results are analyzed by studying the energetics of hexagonal, bixbyite, and perovskite (La_1-xLu_x)₂O₃ crystal structures employing density functional theory.

[en] AlSb is grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The evolution and the relaxation of the deposited AlSb layer is investigated by synchrotron-based in situ grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GID), and the analysis of the real space distribution is performed by atomic force microscopy. AlSb forms islands with (111)A polarity and {110} surface orientations with different side facets following the Volmer-Weber growth mode. GID investigations reveal facet rods originating from AlSb{110} islands. It is shown that a concentration of only 0.7% AlSb{110} oriented domains influences the diffraction pattern in such a way that additional crystal truncation rods parallel to the surface appear.

[en] The phase formation of La₂O₃ epitaxial films during growth on Si(111) is investigated by synchrotron-based in situ grazing incidence x-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. We find that first a 2–4 nm thick cubic bixbyite La₂O₃ layer grows at the interface to Si(111) substrate, followed by a hexagonal La₂O₃ film. Hence, to keep a cubic on cubic heteroepitaxy and to achieve high quality epitaxial nanostructures or multi-layers, the thickness of the interfacial La₂O₃ layer has to be restricted to 2 nm. The larger formation energy of the cubic phase can only partially be compensated by the biaxial strain in the epitaxial film based on density functional perturbation theory. Hence, the stabilization of the cubic phase is not due to bulk strain but could be related to a lower surface or interface free energy, or to kinetic effects.