Preparation of GaN films on ZnO buffer layers by rf magnetron sputtering

Abstract

We have deposited the GaN films on Si(001) substrate using the ZnO buffer layers at room temperature by the radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering method. The ZnO buffer layer thickness affected the structural properties of GaN films. With a sufficiently thick ZnO layer, we have obtained a c-axis-oriented GaN/ZnO thin film on Si with the XRD full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 0.22° and root-mean-square (RMS) surface roughness of about 22Å.