Microstructural properties of GaN grown on a Si(110) substrate by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy: Dependence on the ammonia flux

The microstructural properties of a GaN thin film grown on a Si(110) substrate under various ammonia (NH₃)-flux conditions were observed to study growth mode and defect evolution. The surface flatness of GaN thin films was improved with the increase of the NH₃ flux while the thickness was decreased by increasing the NH₃ flux. In addition, the crystalline quality of the GaN film grown under the lower NH₃ flux (100 sccm) was better than that of the film under the higher NH₃ flux (400 sccm). The different dislocation behaviors depending on NH₃ fluxes were observed; the low density of dislocations was measured and most of dislocations penetrating the thin film was mixed- and edge-type dislocations when GaN was grown under the low NH₃ flux condition while the high density of dislocation and many mixed- and screw-type dislocations penetrating the film were observed in the GaN film grown under the high NH₃ flux. These phenomena are demonstrated by using a kinetic model related to the role of NH₃.