Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2001
We have performed atomic scale simulations of heteroepitaxial growth of thin films using the valence force field approximation and Monte Carlo techniques. The case of CdTe/(001)GaAs is considered. Our simulations indicate valley formation presenting (111) facets with unstable bottoms in the early stages of the growth. This roughening is a source of dislocation, as it appears to relax the elastic energy of the deposited layers by formation of V-grooves. We have used a calculated RHEED as an in situ control of deposited layers. Finally, we present the influence of an imperfect surface in the morphology of the deposited films.