Modified surface chemistry, potential, and optical properties of polar gallium nitride via long chained phosphonic acids

Abstract

Surface potential, chemistry, topography, and optical properties were modulated utilizing the attachment of phosphonic acids (11-mercaptoundecylphosphonic acid, 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctanephosphonic acid, and 1,8-octanediphosphonic acid) with phosphoric acid to polar (c-plane) GaN. These changes were identified using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) with kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), photoluminescence (PL), and water contact angle. The results indicated that the attachment of phosphonic groups to gallium nitride strongly depends on the formation of a native oxide layer and subsequent passivation. It was seen that a fluorine terminated phosphonic acid increased the overall surface oxide versus other groups, as well as reduced the surface potential and improved the photoluminescence relative to other treatments. Sulfur terminated phosphonic acid demonstrated a similar reduction in surface potential and oxide formation to fluorine based phosphonic acid; however, improvements of optical luminescence on the same scale were not achieved.