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Abstract

CdS was deposited onto clean cleaved InP(110) by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) using a growth rate of 0.2 monolayers/min and a substrate temperature of 440 K (510 K). Raman spectra were taken in situ of the clean InP surface and after each evaporation step using an Ar+ ion laser as a light source. Due to this resonant excitation scattering signals originating from the CdS deposition are observed at coverages as low as 2 monolayers (ML). The number of phonon peaks observed and their selection rules reveal that the cubic modification is present. The spectra are dominated at all coverages by the longitudinal optical (LO) and 2LO phonon scattering intensities and the variation of the 2LO/LO intensity ratio with CdS deposition indicates changes in the electronic structure of the growing CdS. Another spectral feature in the Raman spectra is attributed to a chemically reacted layer at the interface most likely consisting of an In–S compound. The intensity of this feature is found to depend critically on the growth parameters, in particular the substrate temperature, but also on the operating time of the MBE cell. The amount of reaction at the interface also influences the critical CdS film thickness and the development of the 2LO/LO ratio. The results are discussed taking complementary photoluminescence, x‐ray diffraction, and photoemission data into account.