Study of the structural and optical properties of ordered domains in GaInP alloys

GalnP layers, grown on differently misoriented (001) GaAs substrates, exhibit CuPtB-type domains. The morphology of the ordered domains and their boundaries are strictly related to the surface step configuration. The increase in ordered domain size, with increasing misorientation angle, results in a significant decrease in the degree of order and in a sharper distribution of the ordering parameter. Finally, the spectrally resolved cathodoluminescence emission from the ordered samples is discussed on the basis of the inhomogeneity of the degree of order.