Deterioration of Mechanical Properties of MBE-Grown, Metastable Semiconductor Layer with Time: the Case of Zinc Blende MnTe

Abstract

Several few µm thick (001)-oriented, metastable MnTe layers with the zinc blende structure grown onto (001)GaAs substrate by MBE during different periods for the last twenty years were investigated by the scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and nanoindentation methods. A partial decomposition of the oldest investigated layers was demonstrated. An important decrease of Young's modulus from about 34 GPa to about 17 GPa, resulting from a deterioration of the crystal structure of such layers, was found.