Lattice parameter and elastic constants of cubic Zn 1− x Mn x Se epilayers grown by molecular‐beam epitaxy

We investigate cubic Zn1−xMnxSe layers (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.43) grown on GaAs(001) by elemental source molecular-beam epitaxy. To determine the Mn concentration, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, Rutherford backscattering and particle-induced X-ray emission are applied. In the next step we utilize X-ray diffraction to measure both the strained lattice parameter of the films along and perpendicular to the growth direction. The unstrained values are then derived from elasticity theory using elastic constants for cubic Zn1−xMnxSe calculated from published data for hexagonal material. Finally, an extrapolation to x = 1 yields the lattice parameter of cubic MnSe (a0 = 5.90 A). (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)