Determination of the types and densities of dislocations in GaN epitaxial layers of different thicknesses by optical and atomic force microscopy

Abstract

The change in the dislocation density on the surface of GaN epitaxial layers, which were grown by hydride vapor-phase epitaxy on sapphire substrates with c and r orientations, has been investigated by optical and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It is shown that the observed decrease in the density of threading dislocations with an increase in the layer thickness is related to the annihilation of mixed dislocations. The experimental and theoretical data on the change in the density of mixed dislocations with an increase in the epitaxial-layer thickness are in good correspondence.