Semipolar AlN on Si(100): Technology and properties

Abstract

Initial stages of the semipolar AlN layer formation by chloride-hydride vapor phase epitaxy on a misoriented Si(100) substrate with a thin intermediate nano-SiC layer grown by atomic substitution method are investigated. It is found that once the growth rate of AlN layer on a nano-SiC/Si(100) substrate is about 0.02μm/h, the layer is formed in a polar direction. On the other hand, at the growth rate of 1μm/h the layer is formed in a semipolar direction. We propose the model of the semipolar AlN layer growth based on the formation of the special structure on the SiC layer synthesized by atomic substitution and on the possibility of the matching of the quasi-lattices of Al(20−23) and 3CSiC(100) planes assuming bonding of four atoms from the layer to four atoms of the 3CSiC quasi-lattice consisting of three lattice unit cells in one of the directions.