GaN Columns Research Articles

Growth of crack-free hexagonal GaN films on Si(100)

Hexagonal GaN films have been grown on Si(100) substrates by employing a sputtered AlN buffer layer followed by another high-temperature metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) grown AlN buffer layer. The highly oriented structure of sputtered AlN provides a hexagonal template for subsequent AlN and GaN growth. The GaN films are evaluated by transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, x-ray diffraction, and photoluminescence and exhibit a purely hexagonal columnar structure. The orientation of the GaN columns depends on the thickness of both the sputtered AlN buffer layer and the MOCVD grown AlN buffer layer. The surface of GaN films is shiny and crack free up to a thickness of 2 μm studied in this work.

Pendeo-Epitaxy - A New Approach for Lateral Growth of Gallium Nitride Structures

A new process route for lateral growth of nearly defect free GaN structures via Pendeo-epitaxy is discussed. Lateral growth of GaN films suspended from {110} side walls of [0001] oriented GaN columns into and over adjacent etched wells has been achieved via MOVPE technique without the use of, or contact with, a supporting mask or substrate. Pendeo-epitaxy is proposed as the descriptive term for this growth technique. Selective growth was achieved using process parameters that promote lateral growth of the {110} planes of GaN and disallow nucleation of this phase on the exposed SiC substrate. Thus, the selectivity is provided by tailoring the shape of the underlying GaN layer itself consisting of a sequence of alternating trenches and columns, instead of selective growth through openings in SiO2 or SiNx mask, as in the conventional lateral epitaxial overgrowth (LEO).Two modes of initiation of the pendeo-epitaxial GaN growth via MOVPE were observed: Mode A - promoting the lateral growth of the {110} side facets into the wells faster than the vertical growth of the (0001) top facets; and Mode B - enabling the top (0001) faces to grow initially faster followed by the pendeo-epitaxial growth over the wells from the newly formed {110} side facets. Four-to-five order decrease in the dislocation density was observed via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in the pendeo-epitaxial GaN relative to that in the GaN columns. TEM observations revealed that in pendeo-epitaxial GaN films the dislocations do not propagate laterally from the GaN columns when the structure grows laterally from the sidewalls into and over the trenches. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies revealed that the coalesced regions are either defect-free or sometimes exhibit voids. Above these voids the PEGaN layer is usually defect free.

Pendeo-Epitaxy - A New Approach for Lateral Growth of Gallium Nitride Structures

AbstractA new process route for lateral growth of nearly defect free GaN structures via Pendeoepitaxy is discussed. Lateral growth of GaN films suspended from {1120} side walls of [0001] oriented GaN columns into and over adjacent etched wells has been achieved via MOVPE technique without the use of, or contact with, a supporting mask or substrate. Pendeo-epitaxy is proposed as the descriptive term for this growth technique. Selective growth was achieved using process parameters that promote lateral growth of the { 1120) planes of GaN and disallow nucleation of this phase on the exposed SiC substrate. Thus, the selectivity is provided by tailoring the shape of the underlying GaN layer itself consisting of a sequence of alternating trenches and columns, instead of selective growth through openings in SiO2 or SiNx mask, as in the conventional lateral epitaxial overgrowth (LEO).Two modes of initiation of the pendeo-epitaxial GaN growth via MOVPE were observed: Mode A - promoting the lateral growth of the {1120} side facets into the wells faster than the vertical growth of the (0001) top facets; and Mode B - enabling the top (0001) faces to grow initially faster followed by the pendeo-epitaxial growth over the wells from the newly formed {1120} side facets. Four-to-five order decrease in the dislocation density was observed via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in the pendeo-epitaxial GaN relative to that in the GaN columns. TEM observations revealed that in pendeo-epitaxial GaN films the dislocations do not propagate laterally from the GaN columns when the structure grows laterally from the sidewalls into and over the trenches. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies revealed that the coalesced regions are either defect-free or sometimes exhibit voids. Above these voids the PEGaN layer is usually defect free.

Effect of Magnesium and Silicon on the lateral overgrowth of GaN patterned substrates by Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy

Metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy was used to achieve selective regrowth of undoped, Mg- and Si-doped GaN on a silicon nitride patterned mask, capping a GaN epitaxial layer deposited on (0001) sapphire substrate. Hexagonal openings in the mask defined into 10 µm diameter circles separated by 5µm were used as a pattern for the present study. Uniform undoped and Mg-doped GaN hexagonal pyramids, delimited by C (0001) and R {101} facets, were achieved with a good selectivity. Si-doped GaN hexagonal pyramids delimited by vertical {100} facets and (0001) top facet were obtained for a high SiH4 flow rate in the vapor phase. We found that the GaN growth rates VR and VC, measured in the R <101> and C <0001> directions respectively, were drastically affected by the Mg and Si incorporation. By adjusting the Mg partial pressure in the growth chamber, the VR/VC ratio can be increased. Hence, the delimiting top C facet do not vanish as usually observed in undoped GaN selective regrowth but conversely expands. On the other hand, under proper growth conditions, 20µm-high Si-doped GaN columns were obtained.

Simultaneous growth of two different oriented GaN epilayers on (1 1 · 0) sapphire I. Morphology and orientation

Two different oriented (0 0 · 1) and (1 0 · 0)GaN thin films have been grown simultaneously on (1 1 · 0)Al2O3 substrates by low-pressure MOCVD. The crystallinity of the epilayer is not as good as a (0 0 · 1) epilayer grown with a single orientation. Moreover, three different morphologies of the GaN epilayers have appeared: hexagonal pyramids for (0 0 · 1)GaN and rectangular columns or bow tie shapes for (1 0 · 0)GaN epilayer. The epitaxial relationship for in-plane direction between epilayer and the substrates has been determined by precession photographs: [1 0 0]GaN ∧ [0 0 1]Al2O3 = 30′ for (0 0 · 1)GaN | (1 1 · 0)Al2O3, and [0 0 1]GaN ∧ [0 0 1]Al2O3 = 30°43′ for (1 0 · 0)GaN | (1 1 · 0)Al2O3. The simultaneous growth with different morphologies is very interesting to crystallographers. Usually, this phenomena is very rare because the growth potential energies of different morphologies are usually different from each other.