MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL)

InGaN thin films were grown by low-pressure metalorganic-vapor-phase-epitaxy (MOVPE) and characterized by cathodoluminescence (CL) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM images showed that InGaN samples have inverted hexagonal pits which are formed by the In segregation on the (1011) surfaces. Room temperature CL at the wavelengths corresponding to the GaN band edge, the In-poor and In-rich regions showed that the In–rich regions formed at the periphery of the hexagonal pits.

Exposure of wurtzite GaN films grown on Si-polar 6H-SiC(0001) to magnesium during molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has been studied. In the nitrogen rich regime of MBE growth, GaN films are known to grow with rough morphology. We observe on GaN(0001) that small doses of Mg act as a surfactant, smoothing out this roughness. An interpretation of this surfactant behavior is given in terms of electron counting arguments for the surface reconstructions. Previously, we have reported that larger doses of Mg lead to inversion of the Ga-polar GaN film to produce N-polar GaN. Several Mg-related reconstructions of the resulting GaN(000 ) surface are reported.

Ion implantation is used to investigate the spectroscopic properties of Mg, Be, and C acceptors in GaN. Activation of these species is studied using low temperature photoluminescence (PL). Low dose implants into high quality undoped hydride vapor phase epitaxial (HVPE) material are used in conjunction with high temperature (1300 °C) rapid thermal anneals to obtain high quality spectra. Dramatic, dose-dependent evidence of Mg acceptor activation is observed without any co-implants, including a strong, sharp neutral Mg acceptor-bound exciton and strong donor-acceptor pair peaks. Variable temperature measurements reveal a band-to-acceptor transition, whose energy yields an optical binding energy of 224 meV. Be and C implants yield only slight evidence of shallow acceptor-related features and produce dose-correlated 2.2 eV PL, attributed to residual implantation damage. Their poor optical activation is tentatively attributed to insufficient vacancy production by these lighter ions. Clear evidence is obtained for donor-Zn acceptor pair and acceptor-bound exciton peaks in Zn-doped HVPE material.

AlGaN/GaN strained layer superlattices have been employed in the cladding layers of InGaN multi-quantum well laser diodes grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Superlattices have been investigated for strain relief of the cladding layer, as well as an enhanced hole concentration, which is more than ten times the value obtained for bulk AlGaN films. Laser diodes with strained layer superlattices as cladding layers were shown to have superior structural and electrical properties compared to laser diodes with bulk AlGaN cladding layers. As the period of the strained layer superlattices is decreased, the threshold voltage, as well as the threshold current density, is decreased. The resistance to vertical conduction through p-type superlattices with increasing superlattice period is not offset by the increase in hole concentration for increasing superlattice spacing, resulting in higher voltages.

Rutherford backscattering and channeling spectrometry (RBS), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been used to investigate macroscopic and microscopic segregation in MOCVD grown InGaN layers. The PL peak energy and In content (measured by RBS) were mapped at a large numberof distinct points on the samples. An indium concentration of 40%, the highest measured in this work, corresponds to a PL peak of 710 nm, strongly suggesting that the lightemitting regions of the sample are very indium-rich compared to the average measured by RBS. Cross-sectional TEM observations show distinctive layering of the InGaN films. The TEM study further reveals that these layers consist of amorphous pyramidal contrast features with sizes of order 10 nm. The composition of these specific contrast features is shown to be In-rich compared to the nitride matrix.

Laterally resolved high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) have been used to assess In incorporation efficiency in InxGa1−xN/GaN heterostructures grown through rf-plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Average alloy composition over a set of InxGa1−xN/GaN superlattices has been found to depend systematically upon both substrate temperature (Tsub) and V/III flux ratio during growth. A pronounced thermally activated In loss (with more than an order-of-magnitude decrease in average alloy composition) is observed over a narrow temperature range (590–670oC), with V/III flux ratio fixed. Additionally, the V/III flux ratio is observed to further strongly affect In incorporation efficiency for samples grown at high Tsub, with up to an order-of-magnitude enhancement in In content despite only a minor increase in V/III flux ratio. PL spectra reveal redshifts as In content is increased and luminescence efficiency which degrades rapidly with decreasing Tsub. Results are consistent with In loss arising from thermally activated surface segregation + surface desorption processes during growth.

The output characteristics, cutoff frequency, breakdown voltage and the transconductance of wurtzite and zincblende phase GaN MESFETs have been calculated using a self-consistent, full band Monte Carlo simulation. It is found that the calculated breakdown voltage for the wurtzite device is considerably higher than that calculated for a comparable GaN zincblende phase device. The zincblende device is calculated to have a higher transconductance and cutoff frequency than the wurtzite device. The higher breakdown voltage of the wurtzite phase device is attributed to the higher density of electronic states for this phase compared to the zincblende phase. The higher cutoff frequency and transconductance of the zincblende phase GaN device is attributed to more appreciable electron velocity overshoot for this phase compared to that for the wurtzite phase. The maximum cutoff frequency and transconductance of a 0.1 μm gate-length zincblende GaN MESFET are calculated to be 220GHz and 210 mS/mm, respectively. The corresponding quantities for the wurtzite GaN device are calculated to be 160GHz and 158 mS/mm.

Au/GaN and Cu/GaN Schottky contacts have been studied using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES). Clean and stoechiometric GaN samples were obtained using in situ hydrogen plasma treatment and Ga deposition. The growth of Cu and Au follows Stranski-Krastanov and Frank van der Merwe modes respectively. The interfaces are sharp and non-reactive. Schottky barriers of 1.15eV for Au/GaN and 0.85eV for Cu/GaN were measured using XPS.

The photoresist developer AZ-400K, commonly used to remove AlN encapsulant layers on GaN crystalline films, is found to also etch certain as-grown GaN films. Even as-grown GaN films, which can not be etched in AZ-400K, however can be etched if amorphized by ion implantation. Etch rates of as high as 450 Å/min. were observed. The etching proceeds linearly in GaN in the first few minutes to a depth corresponding to the depth of the amorphous region. Subsequently, the etching rate saturates. Annealing of the highly amorphized samples up to 1000°C for one minute in a N2/H2 gas mixture does not reduce the etch rate, but for lower doses we observed a reduction of the etch rate. Observations of etching depth under various ion-implanted conditions could be correlated with the number of displacements per atoms (dpa) required for amorphization.

An aluminum nitride (AlN) film deposited on silicon (100) was used as the substrate for growing manganese (Mn) doped AlN film by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOVCD). The (15.78 [.proportional]m) under layer of AlN was grown at 615°C at a pressure of 10−4 Torr. The (2.1 [.proportional]m) top layer of Mn-AlN was grown at the same temperature and pressure but doped with pulse valve introduction of the manganese decacarbonyl (100 ms on, 100 ms off). The film was then characterized ex situ with IR reflectance microscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy imaging, cathodoluminescence, and X-ray fluorescence. The IR reflectance measurements showed a strong (A1) LO mode for AlN at 920 cm−1 and 900 cm−1 with a shoulder at 849 cm−1. X-ray Diffraction yielded three diffraction peaks at a 2ø position of 33, 36 and 38 degrees corresponding to 100, 002, and 101 lattice planes respectively. Cathodoluminescence results show strong visible emitted light from incorporated manganese. The relative percentage of manganese to aluminum was below the detection limit (0.01 %) of the Xray fluorescence spectrometer. Amorphous Mn doped AlN films have also been grown using a low temperature atomically abrupt sputter epitaxial system. The amorphous Mn doped AlN showed no cathodoluminescence.

Discrete and coalesced monocrystalline GaN and AlxGa1−xN layers grown via Pendeoepitaxy (PE) [1] originated from side walls of GaN seed structures containing SiNx top masks have been grown via organometallic vapor phase deposition on GaN/AlN/6HSiC(0001) and GaN(0001)/AlN(0001)/3C-SiC(111)/Si(111) substrates. Scanning and transmission electron microscopies were used to evaluate the external microstructures and the distribution of dislocations, respectively. The dislocation densities in the PE grown films was reduced by at least five orders of magnitude relative to the initial GaN seed layers. Tilting in the coalesced GaN epilayers was observed via X-ray diffraction. A tilt of 0.2° was confined to areas of mask overgrowth; however, no tilting was observed in the material suspended above the SiC substrate. The strong, low-temperature PL band-edge peak at 3.45 eV with a FWHM of 17 meV was comparable to that observed in PE GaN films grown on 6H-SiC(0001). The band-edge in the GaN grown on AlN(0001)/SiC(111)Si(111) substrates was shifted to a lower energy by 10 meV, indicative of a greater tensile stress.

Mg-doped superlattices consisting of uniformly doped AlxGa1−xN and GaN layers are analyzed by Hall-effect measurements. Acceptor activation energies of 70 meV and 58 meV are obtained for superlattice structures with an Al mole fraction of x = 0.10 and 0.20 in the barrier layers, respectively. These energies are significantly lower than the activation energy measured for Mg-doped GaN thin films. At room temperature, the doped superlattices have free hole concentrations of 2 × 1018 cm−3 and 4 × 1018 cm−3 for x = 0.10 and 0.20, respectively. The increase in hole concentration with Al content of the superlattice is consistent with theory. The room temperature conductivity measured for the superlattice structures are 0.27 S/cm and 0.64 S/cm for an Al mole fraction of x = 0.10 and 0.20, respectively.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) etching technique has been proven to be an effective method to etch GaN. Despite its success, investigations on etching-induced damage are still scare. In this work, the damage induced by PEC etching of GaN in KOH electrolyte was studied. Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy was used to explore the origin of etching-induced damaged layer. From the variable temperature PL measurements, the origin of etching-induced damage was attributed to be the defect complex of VGa-ON (gallium vacancy bonds to oxygeon on nitrogen antisite). With determination of the defect origin, the electronic transition in the etch damage-related yellow luminescence (YL) band was suggested to be deep donor-like state to shallow-acceptor transition. In addition, a post-treatment method with boiled KOH chemical etching was developed to remove the thin damaged layer. In this method, crystallographic etching characteristics of boiled KOH was observed to assist in the formation of smooth sidewall facets. As revealed by the reduction of yellow luminescence, we propose this novel technique as a near damage-free etching method.

We are attempting to grow bulk AlN that would be suitable as a substrate for nitride film growth. Bulk AlN films were grown by physical vapor transport on 3.5° offaxis and on-axis 6H SiC seed crystals and characterized by TEM, x-ray-diffraction, Auger electron microscopy, and SEM. TEM images show that the bulk AlN does not have the columnar structure typically seen in AlN films grown by MOCVD. Although further optimization is required before the bulk AlN is suitable as a substrate, we find that the structural characteristics achieved thus far indicate that quality bulk AlN substrates may be obtained in the future.

The behavior of H in p-GaN(Mg) at temperatures >400°C is modeled by using energies and vibration frequencies from density-functional theory to parameterize transport and reaction equations. Predictions agree semiquantitatively with experiment for the solubility, uptake, and release of the H when account is taken of a surface barrier.

An AlxGa1-xN/GaN two-dimensional electron gas structure with x = 0.13 deposited by molecular beam epitaxy on a GaN layer grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy on a sapphire substrate was characterized. Hall effect measurements gave a sheet electron concentration of 5.1×1012 cm-2 and a mobility of 1.9 × 104 cm2/Vs at 10 K. Mobility spectrum analysis showed single-carrier transport and negligible parallel conduction at low temperatures. The sheet carrier concentrations determined from Shubnikov-de Haas magnetoresistance oscillations were in good agreement with the Hall data. The electron effective mass was determined to be 0.215±0.006 m0 based on the temperature dependence of the amplitude of Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations. The quantum lifetime was about one-fifth of the transport lifetime of 2.3 × 10-12 s.

The hexagonal domain suppression-effects in cubic-GaNAs grown by metalorganic chemical-vapor deposition (MOCVD) is reported. A thin buffer layer (20 nm) was first grown on a substrate at 853 K using trimethylgallium and dimethylhydrazine (DMHy), and GaNAs samples were grown at different AsH3 flow rates (0 ∼ 450 µmol/min) at 1193 K. As a result, three types of surface morphologies were obtained: the first was a smooth surface (AsH3 = 0 µmol/min); the second was a mirrorlike surface having small and isotropic grains (AsH3 : 45 ∼ 225 µmol/min ); and the third involved threedimensional surface morphologies (above 450 µmol/min of AsH3 flow rate). Furthermore, it was confirmed using X-ray diffraction that the mixing ratio of hexagonal GaNAs in cubic GaNAs decreased with an increase of the AsH3 flow rate. We could obtain GaNAs having a cubic component of above 85% at AsH3 flow rates above 20 µmol/min. Therefore, the MOCVD growth method using AsH3 and DMHy was mostly effective for suppressing hexagonal GaNAs. It was observed that the photoluminescence intensity of GaNAs was decreased with increase of arsine flow rate.

We report on the fabrication of device-quality AlN heterostructures grown on SiC for high-temperature electronic devices. The AlN films were grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) at substrate temperatures ranging from 25 °C (room temperature) to 1000 °C. The as-grown films were investigated using x-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering specttroscopy, ion channeling, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The AlN films grown above 700 °C were highly c-axis oriented with rocking curve FWHM of 5 to 6 arc-min. The ion channeling minimum yields near the surface region for the AlN films were ∼2 to 4%, indicating their high degree of crystallinity. TEM studies indicated that AlN films were epitaxial and single crystalline in nature with a large number of stacking faults as a results of lattice mismatch and growth induced defects. The surface roughness for the films was about 0.5 nm, which is close to the unit cell height of the AlN. Epitaxial TiN ohmic contacts were also developed on SiC, GaN, and AlN by in-situ PLD. Epitaxial TiN/AlN/SiC MIS capacitors with gate areas of 4 * 10-4 cm2 were fabricated, and high-temperature current-voltage (I-V) characteristics were studied up to 450 °C. We have measured leakage current densities of low 10-8 A/cm2 at room temperature, and have mid 10-3 A/cm2 at 450°C under a field of 2 MV/cm.

In this paper we report on the fabrication and characterization of GaN diodes (Schottky and p-n junctions) grown by plasma assisted MBE. We observed that Schottky diodes improve both in reverse as well as forward bias when deposited on 5 μm thick HVPE n+-GaN/sapphire instead of bare sapphire substrates. These improvements are attributed to the reduction of disloctions in the MBE homoepitaxially grown GaN. Similar benefits are observed in the reverse bias of the p-n junctions which according to EBIC measurements are attributed to the reduction of etch pits in the MBE grown p-GaN.

Different ions (Ti+, O+, Fe+, Cr+) were implanted at multiple energies into GaN field effect transistor structures (n and p-type). The implantation was found to create deep states with energy levels in the range EC –0.20 to 0.49 eV in n-GaN and at EV +0.44 eV in p-GaN after annealing at 450-650 oC. The sheet resistance of the GaN was at a maximum after annealing at these temperatures, reaching values of ∼4×1012 Ω/⊏ in n-GaN and ∼1010 Ω/⊏ in p-GaN. The mechanism for the implant isolation was damage-related trap formation for all of the ions investigated, and there was no evidence of chemically induced isolation.