Observation of change in critical thickness of In droplet formation on GaAs(100)

We present a study on the formation of In droplets on GaAs(100) substrates as functions of substrate temperature and monolayer (ML) deposition by using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). We specifically reveal the change in critical thickness of In deposition to form In droplets at different substrate temperatures. At a relatively high substrate temperature, the critical thickness of In droplets becomes relatively thinner as the amount of As atoms on the surface decreases. The control of the size and density of In droplets is also systematically discussed. This study provides an aid in understanding the formation of In droplets and thus can find applications in the formation of quantum structures and/or nanostructures based on droplet epitaxy.