Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
The purpose of this work is to give an overview of the current phenomenological understanding of impurity-induced layer disordering (IILD). First, we identify key experimental findings such as the influence of the crystal surface-ambient interaction, the Fermi-level effect, and the impurity concentration on Al-Ga interdiffusion. Second, we review the strengths and weaknesses of existing IILD models in consideration of the above mentioned experimental data. Finally, we discuss the pitfalls involved in generalizing the results of individual Al-Ga interdiffusion experiments in order to explain a broader collection of IILD data.