Island formation in Ge films on GaAs(110)

The early stages of GaAs (1 1 0)/Ge heterojunction formation at room temperature have been investigated by Auger spectroscopy. Comparison between the experimental results and the predictions of simple deposition models indicates that the growth of the Ge film proceeds by island formation. A uniform overlayer starts to develop only in films thicker than 10 Å. Evidence is also found for As diffusion through the Ge film.