Analysis of reactor geometry and diluent gas flow effects on the metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy of AIN and GaN thin films on α(6H)-SiC substrates

Abstract

The influence of diluent gas on the metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy of AlN and GaN thin films has been investigated. A computational fluid dynamics model using the finite element method was employed to improve film uniformity and to analyze transport phenomena. The properties of AlN and GaN thin films grown on α(6H)-SiC(0001) substrates in H2 and N2 diluent gas environments were evaluated. Thin films of AlN grown in H2 and N2 had root mean square (rms) roughness values of 1.5 and 1.8 nm, respectively. The surface and defect microstructures of the GaN thin films, observed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, respectively, were very similar for both diluents. Low temperature (12K) photoluminescence measurements of GaN films grown in N2 had peak intensities and full widths at half maximum equal to or better than those films grown in H2. A room temperature Hall mobility of 275 cm2/V·s was measured on 1 µm thick, Si-doped, n-type (1×1017 cm−3) GaN films grown in N2. Acceptor-type behavior of Mg-doped GaN films deposited in N2 was repeatably obtained without post-growth annealing, in contrast to similar films grown in H2. The GaN growth rates were ∼30% higher when H2 was used as the diluent. The measured differences in the growth rates of AlN and GaN films in H2 and N2 was attributed to the different transport properties of these mixtures, and agreed well with the computer model predictions. Nitrogen is shown to be a feasible alternative diluent to hydrogen for the growth of AlN and GaN thin films.