Growth and characterisation of NiSb(0001)/GaAs(111)B epitaxial films

Abstract Thin films of NiSb(0001) have been grown using molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs(111)B substrates and characterized with a variety of structural and surface-specific techniques supported by density functional theory calculations. Several differences were observed between NiSb and the more widely studied MnSb. A new (4×4) surface reconstruction was seen on NiSb(0001), along with other reconstructions common to MnSb or MnAs. Strain relaxation differs between NiSb and MnSb, with strained layers 10 nm thick persisting in NiSb and some crystallites of ( 1 1 ¯ 01 ) orientation appearing in thick (0001) films. Ga segregation through NiSb(0001) films does not occur, unlike in MnSb, and the native oxide of NiSb is more benign than the Mn-rich oxides of MnSb.