The structural properties of GaN epitaxial layers grown on patterned sapphire substrates by MOCVD have been investigated using HRXRD(high-resolution X-ray diffraction), GIXRD(grazing incidence X-ray diffraction) and PL(photoluminescence). For X-ray characterizations rocking curves for GaN (10·5), (00·2), (11·4) and (11·0) reflections for which incidence angles of X-rays are 32.0°, 17.3°, 11.0° and 0.34°, respectively, were measured. For (10·5), (00·2) and (11·4) reflections FWHMs of the rocking curves for a patterned substrate were broader than those for a unpatterned substrate, for (11·0) reflection, however, FWHM for a patterned substrate was much narrower than that for a unpatterned substrate. The normalized FWHM for all reflections decreases as the incidence angle of X-ray decreases. The results indicate that the crystalline quality in the surface region of the epilayer on a patterned substrate was especially improved because the penetration depth of X-ray depends on the incidence angle. The intensity of PL peak of the epilayer for a patterned substrate increased compared to that for a unpatterned substrate, and the increase in PL intensity is attributed to the reduction in dislocation density at the surface region revealed the by X-ray results.

The structural and optical properties of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) grown on sapphire by MOCVD have been investigated using high-resolution XRD, PL and TEM. The samples consisted of 10 periods of InGaN wells with 6.5nm thickness. The designed indium compositions were 15, 20, 25 and 30% (samples C15, C20, C25, C30, respectively). The thickness of GaN barrier was 7.5nm. The MQW in sample C15 maintained lattice coherency with the GaN epilayer underneath, the MQWs in the other samples, however, experienced lattice relaxation. The crystallinity of the samples decreased considerably with In concentration. As In composition increased, PL peak energy showed a red-shift, and the FWHM of the peaks increased. The increase in the FWHM is attributed to the defects due to the lattice relaxation. For C25 the PL peak intensity increased sharply in spite of the defects due to the lattice relaxation of the sample. It is concluded that the results are related to the In-rich region due to indium phase separation which was observed by TEM image.

The structural and the optical properties of 10-period In0.15Ga0.85N/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) have been investigated using HRXRD (high-resolution X-ray diffraction) and PL (photoluminescence). For the samples, the barrier thickness was kept constant, 7.5 nm and the well thicknesses were varied, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, and 6.0 nm. For the structural characterization, an ω/2θ-scan and an ω-scan for GaN (00 2) reflection and a reciprocal space mapping (RSM) around the GaN (10 5) lattice point were employed. The average strain for the MQWs increased as the well thickness increased. The MQW with a 6.0 nm well thickness experienced lattice relaxation and the crystallinity of the sample was poor compared to that of the other samples. MQWs with well thicknesses of 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 nm, however, maintained lattice coherency with the GaN epilayers underneath, and the critical well thickness for lattice relaxation of the MQWs used in the study was 6.0 nm. The PL spectra showed that the relative emission intensity of the sample with a 6.0 nm well thickness was lower than for the others, a fact consistent with the X-ray results. The emission intensity, therefore, is considered to be affected by defects due to lattice relaxation of the epilayer.