Characterizing the thickness dependence of epitaxial GaN grown over GaN nanocolumns using X-ray diffraction
Journal
Journal of Crystal Growth
Journal Volume
310
Journal Issue
13
Pages
3159-3162
Date Issued
2008
Author(s)
Abstract
The crystal quality, as determined by X-ray diffraction, of GaN epitaxial films synthesized by MOCVD overgrowth of oriented GaN nanocolumns on Si(1 1 1) is studied as a function of film thickness and compared with control films grown on sapphire substrate. Samples were characterized using a three-beam X-ray diffraction technique from which depth-dependent rocking-curve widths (for the (0 1 1̄ 3)/(0 1̄ 12̄) crystal plane) are obtained as functions of depth. Through the examination of four samples prepared under conditions spanning key growth parameters it is found that optimizing for overgrowth at higher substrate temperatures can lead to coalesced films with significantly narrower rocking-curve widths. The results indicate that initially disconnected crystal domains stemming from individual columns do merge under the right conditions and that the coalesced crystal improves with increasing thickness. Overgrowth with the substrate temperature at 1000 °C (the highest of the study) resulted in a GaN overgrowth with properties superior to those of the control sample, a standard high-quality 2 μm MOCVD GaN thin-film grown on sapphire substrate. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
SDGs
Type
journal article