Effect of the chemical vapor deposition environment on the faceted surface of α-(0 0 0 1) sapphire

The terrace-and-step structure on the α-(0 0 0 1) sapphire surface induced by annealing has been known to be stable unlike the 7 × 7 reconstructed surface of silicon. However, the behavior of the terrace-and-step structure in an actual growth environment is relatively unknown. This article investigates the effect of the H2–CH4 chemical vapor deposition environment on the faceted surface of α-(0 0 0 1) sapphire using atomic force microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy.