Low-temperature sequential pulsed chemical vapor deposition of ternary BxGa1-xN and BxIn1-xN thin film alloys

Abstract

In this work, the authors have performed sequential pulsed chemical vapor deposition of ternary BxGa1-xN and BxIn1-xN alloys at a growth temperature of 450 °C. Triethylboron, triethylgallium, trimethylindium, and N2 or N2/H2 plasma have been utilized as boron, gallium, indium, and nitrogen precursors, respectively. The authors have studied the compositional dependence of structural, optical, and morphological properties of BxGa1-xN and BxIn1-xN ternary thin film alloys. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction measurements showed that boron incorporation in wurtzite lattice of GaN and InN diminishes the crystallinity of BxGa1-xN and BxIn1-xN sample. Refractive index decreased from 2.24 to 1.65 as the B concentration of BxGa1-xN increased from 35% to 88%. Similarly, refractive index of BxIn1-xN changed from 1.98 to 1.74 for increase in B concentration value from 32% to 87%, respectively. Optical transmission band edge values of the BxGa1-xN and BxIn1-xN films shifted to lower wavelengths with increasing boron content, indicating the tunability of energy band gap with alloy composition. Atomic force microscopy measurements revealed an increase in surface roughness with boron concentration of BxGa1-xN, while an opposite trend was observed for BxIn1-xN thin films.