Growth of Catalyst-Free Hexagonal Pyramid-Like InN Nanocolumns on Nitrided Si(111) Substrates via Radio-Frequency Metal–Organic Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Wei‐Chun Chen ,Hung-Pin Chen,Yu-Wei Lin,Fang‐I Lai ,Tung‐Yuan Yu ,Shou‐Yi Kuo

doi:10.3390/cryst9060291

Abstract

Hexagonal pyramid-like InN nanocolumns were grown on Si(111) substrates via radio-frequency (RF) metal–organic molecular beam epitaxy (MOMBE) together with a substrate nitridation process. The metal–organic precursor served as a group-III source for the growth of InN nanocolumns. The nitridation of Si(111) under flowing N2 RF plasma and the MOMBE growth of InN nanocolumns on the nitrided Si(111) substrates were investigated along with the effects of growth temperature on the structural, optical, and chemical properties of the InN nanocolumns. Based on X-ray diffraction analysis, highly <0001>-oriented, hexagonal InN nanocolumns were grown on the nitride Si(111) substrates. To evaluate the alignment of arrays, the deviation angles of the InN nanocolumns were measured using scanning electron microscopy. Transmission electron microscopy analysis indicated that the InN nanocolumns were single-phase wurtzite crystals having preferred orientations along the c-axis. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the hexagonal structures of the deposited InN nanocolumns.

Highlights

Nanocolumns (NCs) have proven effective for lateral stress relaxation; they exhibit low defect densities in III-nitride heterostructures
indium nitride (InN) nanocolumns were grown on the nitride Si(111) substrates
FESEM analysis demonstrated that the diameters of the InN nanocolumns on nitrided Si(111) depended strongly on the growth temperature

Summary

Introduction

Nanocolumns (NCs) have proven effective for lateral stress relaxation; they exhibit low defect densities in III-nitride heterostructures. This property is beneficial for systems with large lattice mismatch, such as indium nitride (InN), which is typically grown on foreign substrates. InN is an interesting and potentially important III-nitride semiconductor material with superior electronic transport properties [1]. The relatively low decomposition temperature (

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Conclusion