Observation of step bunching on vicinal GaAs(100) studied by scanning tunneling microscopy

Similar step bunchings which consist of 7–9 single steps were observed by scanning tunneling microscopy on both vicinal GaAs(100) surfaces grown by metalorganic chemical‐vapor deposition (MOCVD) and annealed in AsH3 atmosphere. Growth parameters, including deposition rate, layer thickness, V/III ratio, and growth temperature, did not affect the morphology of the step bunching. These results indicate that step bunching is induced during the annealing process and its surface morphology is preserved during MOCVD growth for a wide range of growth parameters.