The Impact of ZnO Nanoparticle Interlayer on the Growth and Morphology of Broom-Like Single Crystalline Gallium Nitride

Abstract

Broom-like single crystalline gallium nitride (GaN) nanomaterials have been successfully grown on Si (100) substrates through ammoniating the new type of complex precursor hexafluoroammonium gallate [(NH4)3GaF6], under a constant flow of ammonia at 900 degrees C in a quartz tube. This research mainly deals with the effect of zinc oxide (ZnO) interlayer on the growth and morphological changes of GaN nanoparticles. Broom-like GaN nanomaterials were obtained upon the influence of very fine ZnO nanoparticle interlayer in between the silicon substrate and the Ga source complex materials. On the other hand, well organized micron size hexagonal GaN particles were resulted in absence of ZnO interlayer. The transformation of hexagonal to broom-like GaN nanomaterials was predominant due to improved surface compatibility between the Si substrate and Ga source complex by the ZnO interlayer. The starting point for the transformation was indentified by controlling the process time. The structure and morphology changes of the GaN product were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). SEM images demonstrate the difference in their morphological changes of single crystalline GaN upon the ZnO nanoparticles layer deposition.