Photoluminescence study on Eu-implanted GaN

The photoluminescence (PL) properties of Eu-implanted GaN thin films are studied. The experimental results show that the PL intensity is seriously affected by ion implantation conditions. The PL efficiency increases exponentially with annealing temperature increasing up to a maximum temperature of 1050℃. Moreover, the PL intensity for the sample implanted along the channelling direction is nearly twice more than that observed from the sample implanted along the random direction. The thermal quenching of PL intensity from 10K to 300K for sample annealed at 1050℃ is only 42.7%.     

非故意掺杂GaN层厚度对蓝光LED波长均匀性的影响

通过调整非故意掺杂氮化镓层的厚度,分析氮化镓基LED外延生长过程中应力的演变行为,以控制外延片表面的翘曲程度,从而获得高均匀性与一致性的外延片。由于衬底与外延层之间的热膨胀系数差别较大,在生长温度不断变化的过程中,外延片的翘曲状态也随之改变。在n型氮化镓生长结束时,外延片处于凹面变形状态。在随后的过程中,外延薄膜"凹面"变形程度不断减小,甚至转变为"凸面"变形,所以n型氮化镓生长结束时外延片的变形程度会直接影响多量子阱沉积时外延片的翘曲状态。当非掺杂氮化镓沉积厚度为3.63μm时,外延片在n型氮化镓层生长结束时变形程度最大,在沉积多量子阱时表面最为平整,这与PLmapping测试所得波长分布以及标准差值最小相一致。通过合理控制非故意掺杂氮化镓层的厚度以调节外延层中的应力状态,可获得均匀性与一致性良好的LED外延片。     

Influence of double A1N buffer layers on the qualities of GaN films prepared by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition

<正>In this paper we report that the GaN thin film is grown by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition on a sapphire (0001) substrate with double AlN buffer layers.The buffer layer consists of a low-temperature(LT) AlN layer and a high-temperature(HT) AlN layer that are grown at 600℃and 1000℃,respectively.It is observed that the thickness of the LT-AlN layer drastically influences the quality of GaN thin film,and that the optimized 4.25-min-LT-AlN layer minimizes the dislocation density of GaN thin film.The reason for the improved properties is discussed in this paper.     

界面形核时间对GaN薄膜晶体质量的影响

利用金属有机化学气相沉积技术系统研究了界面形核时间对c面蓝宝石衬底上外延生长GaN薄膜晶体质量的影响机理. 用原子力显微镜、扫描电子显微镜、高分辨X射线衍射仪以及光致发光光谱仪表征材料的晶体质量以及光学性质. 随着形核时间的延长, 退火后形成的形核岛密度减小、尺寸增大、均匀性变差, 使得形核岛合并过程中产生的界面数量先减小后增大, 导致GaN外延层的螺位错和刃位错密度先减小后增大, 这与室温光致发光光谱中得到的带边发光峰与黄带发光峰的比值先增大后降低一致. 研究结果表明, 外延生长过程中, 界面形核时间会对GaN薄膜中的位错演变施加巨大影响, 从而导致GaN外延层的晶体质量以及光学性质的差异.     

Characterization of the N-polar GaN film grown on C-plane sapphire and misoriented C-plane sapphire substrates by MOCVD

Gallium nitride (GaN) thin film of the nitrogen polarity (N-polar) was grown on C-plane sapphire and misoriented C-plane sapphire substrates respectively by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The misorientation angle is off-axis from C-plane toward M-plane of the substrates, and the angle is 2° and 4° respectively. The nitrogen polarity was confirmed by examining the images of the scanning electron microscope before and after the wet etching in potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution. The morphology was studied by the optical microscope and atomic force microscope. The crystalline quality was characterized by the x-ray diffraction. The lateral coherence length, the tilt angle, the vertical coherence length, and the vertical lattice-strain were acquired using the pseudo-Voigt function to fit the x-ray diffraction curves and then calculating with four empirical formulae. The lateral coherence length increases with the misorientation angle, because higher step density and shorter distance between adjacent steps can lead to larger lateral coherence length. The tilt angle increases with the misorientation angle, which means that the misoriented substrate can degrade the identity of crystal orientation of the N-polar GaN film. The vertical lattice-strain decreases with the misorientation angle. The vertical coherence length does not change a lot as the misorientation angle increases and this value of all samples is close to the nominal thickness of the N-polar GaN layer. This study helps to understand the influence of the misorientation angle of misoriented C-plane sapphire on the morphology, the crystalline quality, and the microstructure of N-polar GaN films.     

掺Fe高阻GaN缓冲层特性及其对AlGaN/GaN高电子迁移率晶体管器件的影响研究

利用金属有机物化学气相沉积技术在蓝宝石衬底上制备了掺Fe高阻Ga N以及Al Ga N/Ga N高电子迁移率晶体管(HEMT)结构.对Cp_2Fe流量不同的高阻Ga N特性进行了研究.研究结果表明,Fe杂质在Ga N材料中引入的Fe~(3+/2+)深受主能级能够补偿背景载流子浓度从而实现高阻,Fe杂质在Ga N材料中引入更多起受主作用的刃位错,也在一定程度上补偿了背景载流子浓度.在一定范围内,Ga N材料方块电阻随Cp_2Fe流量增加而增加,Cp_2Fe流量为100 sccm(1 sccm 1mL min)时,方块电阻增加不再明显;另外增加Cp_2Fe流量也会导致材料质量下降,表面更加粗糙.因此,优选Cp_2Fe流量为75 sccm,相应方块电阻高达×10?/,外延了不同掺Fe层厚度的Al Ga N/Ga N HEMT结构,并制备成器件.HEMT器件均具有良好的夹断以及栅控特性,并且增加掺Fe层厚度使得HEMT器件的击穿电压提高了39.3%,同时对器件的转移特性影响较小.     

Microstructure and strain films using in-plane grazing analysis of GaN epitaxial incidence x-ray diffraction

This paper investigates the major structural parameters, such as crystal quality and strain state of （001）-oriented GaN thin films grown on sapphire substrates by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition, using an in-plane grazing incidence x-ray diffraction technique. The results are analysed and compared with a complementary out-of-plane x- ray diffraction technique. The twist of the GaN mosaic structure is determined through the direct grazing incidence t of （100） reflection which agrees well with the result obtained by extrapolation method. The method for directly determining the in-plane lattice parameters of the GaN layers is also presented. Combined with the biaxial strain model, it derives the lattice parameters corresponding to fully relaxed GaN films. The GaN epilayers show an increasing residual compressive stress with increasing layer thickness when the two dimensional growth stage is established, reaching to a maximum level of-0.89 GPa.     

The effects of sapphire nitridation on GaN growth by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition

In situ optical reflectivity measurements are employed to monitor the GaN epilayer growth process above a low-temperature GaN buffer layer on a c-plane sapphire substrate by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition. It is found that the lateral growth of the GaN islands and their coalescence are promoted in the initial growth stage if optimized nitridation time and temperature are selected when the substrate is pre-exposed to ammonia. As confirmed by atomic force microscopy observations, the quality of the GaN epilayers is closely dependent on the surface morphology of the nitridated buffer layer, especially grain size and nucleation density.     

Stress and morphology of a nonpolar a-plane GaN layer on r-plane sapphire substrate

The anisotropic strain of a nonpolar (1120) a-plane GaN epilayer on an r-plane (1102) sapphire substrate, grown by low-pressure metal-organic vapour deposition is investigated by Raman spectroscopy. The room-temperature Raman scattering spectra of nonpolar a-plane GaN are measured in surface and edge backscattering geometries. The lattice is contracted in both the c- and the m-axis directions, and the stress in the m-axis direction is larger than that in the c-axis direction. On the surface of this sample, a number of cracks appear only along the m-axis, which is confirmed by the scanning electron micrograph. Atomic force microscopy images reveal a significant decrease in the root-mean-square roughness and the density of submicron pits after the stress relief.     

Microstructure and strain analysis of GaN epitaxial films using in-plane grazing incidence x-ray diffraction

This paper investigates the major structural parameters,such as crystal quality and strain state of (001)-oriented GaN thin films grown on sapphire substrates by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition,using an in-plane grazing incidence x-ray diffraction technique.The results are analysed and compared with a complementary out-of-plane xray diffraction technique.The twist of the GaN mosaic structure is determined through the direct grazing incidence measurement of (100) reflection which agrees well with the result obtained by extrapolation method.The method for directly determining the in-plane lattice parameters of the GaN layers is also presented.Combined with the biaxial strain model,it derives the lattice parameters corresponding to fully relaxed GaN films.The GaN epilayers show an increasing residual compressive stress with increasing layer thickness when the two dimensional growth stage is established,reaching to a maximum level of-0.89 GPa.     

Influence of AlN buffer layer thickness on structural properties of GaN epilayer grown on Si (111) substrate with AlGaN interlayer

We present the growth of GaN epilayer on Si (111) substrate with a single AlGaN interlayer sandwiched between the GaN epilayer and AlN buffer layer by using the metalorganic chemical vapour deposition. The influence of the AlN buffer layer thickness on structural properties of the GaN epilayer has been investigated by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, optical microscopy and high-resolution x-ray diffraction. It is found that an AlN buffer layer with the appropriate thickness plays an important role in increasing compressive strain and improving crystal quality during the growth of AlGaN interlayer, which can introduce a more compressive strain into the subsequent grown GaN layer, and reduce the crack density and threading dislocation density in GaN film.     

Chloride‐based CVD of 3C‐SiC epitaxial layers on 6H(0001) SiC

The heteroepitaxial growth of 3C‐SiC on 6H‐SiC(0001) on‐axis substrates is demonstrated in this study. A hot‐wall CVD reactor working at a reduced pressure was used to perform growth experiments at temperatures between 1300 °C and 1500 °C. The addition of hydrogen chloride to standard precursors allowed a wide window of operating parameters, which resulted in the growth of very high quality and purity 3C‐SiC layers, with a morphology characterized largely by single‐domains, especially when nitrogen was intentionally added. Growth rate of 10 µm/h and n‐type background doping in the low 10¹⁵ cm^–3 range were achieved. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Raman scattering studies on manganese ion-implanted GaN

This paper reports that the Raman spectra have been recorded on the metal-organic chemical vapour deposition epitaxially grown GaN before and after the Mn ions implanted. Several Raman defect modes have emerged from the implanted samples. The structures around 182 cm^-1 modes are attributed to the disorder-activated Raman scattering, whereas the 361 cm^-1 and 660 cm^-1 peaks are assigned to nitrogen vacancy-related defect scattering. One additional peak at 280 cm^-1 is attributed to the vibrational mode of gallium vacancy-related defects and/or to disorder activated Raman scattering. A Raman-scattering study of lattice recovery is also presented by rapid thermal annealing at different temperatures between 700 °C and 1050 °C on Mn implanted GaN epilayers. The behaviour of peak-shape change and full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the A₁(LO) (733 cm^-1) and E^H₂ (566 cm^-1) Raman modes are explained on the basis of implantation-induced lattice damage in GaN epilayers.     

The influence of AlN/GaN superlattice intermediate layer on the properties of GaN grown on Si（111） substrates

AlN/GaN superlattice buffer is inserted between GaN epitaxial layer and Si substrate before epitaxial growth of GaN layer. High-quality and crack-free GaN epitaxial layers can be obtained by inserting AlN/GaN superlattice buffer layer. The influence of AlN/GaN superlattice buffer layer on the properties of GaN films are investigated in this paper. One of the important roles of the superlattice is to release tensile strain between Si substrate and epilayer. Raman spectra show a substantial decrease of in-plane tensile strain in GaN layers by using AlN/GaN superlattice buffer layer. Moreover, TEM cross-sectional images show that the densities of both screw and edge dislocations are significantly reduced. The GaN films grown on Si with the superlattice buffer also have better surface morphology and optical properties.     

Photoluminescence and lasing properties of InAs/GaAs quantum dots grown by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition

Photoluminescence （PL） and lasing properties of InAs/GaAs quantum dots （QDs） with different growth procedures prepared by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition are studied. PL measurements show that the low growth rate QD sample has a larger PL intensity and a narrower PL line width than the high growth rate sample. During rapid thermal annealing, however, the low growth rate sample shows a greater blueshift of PL peak wavelength. This is caused by the larger InAs layer thickness which results from the larger 2-3 dimensional transition critical layer thickness for the QDs in the low-growth-rate sample. A growth technique including growth interruption and in-situ annealing, named indium flush method, is used during the growth of GaAs cap layer, which can flatten the GaAs surface effectively. Though the method results in a blueshift of PL peak wavelength and a broadening of PL line width, it is essential for the fabrication of room temperature working QD lasers.     

Annealing of gold nanoparticles on GaP(111)B: initial stage of GaP nanowire growth

GaP(111)B substrate was strewn with 30 nm colloidal Au nanoparticles. Organic residues were removed by: A) boiling in acetone and isopropylalcohol followed by a DI water rinse, B) treatment A + HF:H₂O, C) treatment A + O₂ plasma for 10 min, 20 min, and 40 min, and D) treatment A combined with O₂ plasma (10 min) and HF:H₂O. The substrate thus had original ‘epi‐ready' oxides (A), or fresh native oxides (B and D), or new added oxides (C). The samples were annealed at T_a = 650 °C for 10 min under PH₃ and H₂ in an MOVPE chamber. This resulted in the growth of GaP stumps along [111]B on each sample. Their length was <3 nm (B and D), ～20 nm (A), and ～220 nm (C 40 min). Elemental Ga is left as P₂O₅/Ga₂O₃ oxides form on etched GaP(111)B at room temperature. We believe that as the oxides disintegrated during annealing, they released the elemental Ga that combined with phosphorus from PH₃, and this led to the growth of the GaP stumps. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

6H碳化硅衬底上硅碳锗薄膜的生长特性研究

采用低压热壁化学气相沉积法,在6H-SiC衬底(0001)面上生长了不同温度(1100—1250℃),不同GeH₄流量比(6.3%—25%)的SiCGe薄膜样品,研究了SiCGe薄膜的表面形貌、生长特性以及样品中Ge组分含量的变化. 扫描电镜测试结果表明,SiCGe薄膜在低温下倾向于岛状生长模式,随着生长温度提高,岛状生长逐渐过渡到层状生长模式,同时伴有岛形状和密度的变化. X射线光电子能谱测试得出SiCGe样品中的Ge含量约为0.15％—0.62％,在其他参数不变的情况下,样品的G 关键词： 碳化硅 化学气相沉积 反相边界 岛状生长     

Orientations of ZnO grown on GaN

On semipolar epitaxial ZnO grown by chemical vapor deposition consists of two distinct orientations as evidenced by transmission electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The initially grown ZnO on GaN follows the GaN lattice with the epitaxial relationship of // and The other oriented ZnO domains then grow on faceted with and with good coherency with the ‐oriented grains. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

GaN layers with different polarities prepared by radio frequency molecular beam epitaxy and characterized by Raman scattering

GaN layers with different polarities have been prepared by radio-frequency molecular beam epitaxy (RF-MBE) and characterized by Raman scattering. Polarity control are realized by controlling Al/N flux ratio during high temperature AlN buffer growth. The Raman results illustrate that the N-polarity GaN films have frequency shifts at $A_{1}$(LO) mode because of their high carrier density; the forbidden $A_{1}$(TO) mode occurs for mixed-polarity GaN films due to the destroyed translation symmetry by inversion domain boundaries (IDBS); Raman spectra for Ga-polarity GaN films show that they have neither frequency shifts mode nor forbidden mode. These results indicate that Ga-polarity GaN films have a better quality, and they are in good agreement with the results obtained from the room temperature Hall mobility. The best values of Ga-polarity GaN films are 1042 cm$^{2}$/Vs with a carrier density of 1.0$\times $10$^{17}$~cm$^{ - 3}$.