Digitally Alloyed Modulated Precursor Flow Epitaxial Growth of Ternary AlGaN with Binary AlN and GaN Sub-Layers and Observation of Compositional Inhomogeneity

We report the growth of ternary aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) layers on AlN/sapphire template/substrates by digitally alloyed modulated precursor flow epitaxial growth (DA-MPEG), which combined an MPEG AlN sub-layer with a conventional metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD)-grown GaN sub-layer. The overall composition in DA-MPEG Al _x Ga_1−x N was controlled by adjustment of the growth time (i.e., the thickness) of the GaN sub-layer. As the GaN sub-layer growth time increased, the Al composition in AlGaN decreased to 50%, but the surface morphology of the AlGaN layer became rough, and a three-dimensional structure with islands appeared for the DA-MPEG AlGaN with relatively thick GaN sub-layers, possibly resulting from the Ga adatom surface migration behavior and/or the strain built up from lattice mismatch between AlN and GaN sub-layers with increasing GaN sub-layer growth time. Through strain analysis by high-resolution x-ray diffraction, reciprocal space mapping, and scanning transmission electron microscopy, it was found that there was compositional inhomogeneity in the DA-MPEG AlGaN with AlN and GaN binary sub-layers for the case of the layer with relatively thick GaN sub-layers.     

Evolution of Threading Dislocation Density and Stress in GaN Films Grown on (111) Si Substrates by Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition

We have studied the evolution of threading dislocations (TDs), stress, and cracking of GaN films grown on (111) Si substrates using a variety of buffer layers including thin AlN, compositionally graded Al _x Ga_1-x N (0 ≤ x ≤ 1), and AlN/Al _y Ga_1-y N/Al _x Ga_1-x N (0 ≤ x ≤ 1, y = 0 and 0.25) multilayer buffers. We find a reduction in TD density in GaN films grown on graded Al _x Ga_1-x N buffer layers, in comparison with those grown directly on a thin AlN buffer layer. Threading dislocation bending and annihilation occurs in the region in the graded Al _x Ga_1-x N grown under a compressive stress, which leads to a decrease of TD density in the overgrown GaN films. In addition, growing a thin AlN/Al _y Ga_1-y N bilayer prior to growing the compositionally graded Al _x Ga_1-x N buffer layer significantly reduces the initial TD density in the Al _x Ga_1-x N buffer layer, which subsequently further reduces the TD density in the overgrown GaN film. In-situ stress measurements reveal a delayed compressive-to-tensile stress transition for GaN films grown on graded Al _x Ga_1-x N buffer layers or multilayer buffers, in comparison to the film grown on a thin AlN buffer layer, which subsequently reduces the crack densities in the films.     

Maskless pendeo-epitaxial growth of GaN films

High-resolution x-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) of pendeo-epitaxial (PE) GaN films confirmed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results regarding the reduction in dislocations in the wings. Wing tilt ≤0.15° was due to tensile stresses in the stripes induced by thermal expansion mismatch between the GaN and the SiC substrate. A strong D°X peak at ≈3.466 eV (full-width half-maximum (FWHM) ≤300 μeV) was measured in the wing material. Films grown at 1020°C exhibited similar vertical [0001] and lateral [11 0] growth rates. Increasing the temperature increased the latter due to the higher thermal stability of the GaN(11 0). The (11 0) surface was atomically smooth under all growth conditions with a root mean square (RMS)=0.17 nm.     

MBE growth and properties of GaN and AlxGa1−xN on GaN/SiC substrates

The growth of GaN and AlGaN by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has been studied using GaN/SiC substrates. The GaN/SiC substrates consisted of ∼3 μm thick GaN buffer layers grown on 6H-SiC wafers by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) at Crée Research, Inc. The MBE-grown GaN films exhibit excellent structural and optical properties—comparable to the best GaN grown by MOVPE. Al_xGa_1−xN films (x ∼ 0.06-0.08) and Al_xGa_1−xN/GaN multi-quantum-well structures which display good optical properties were also grown by MBE on GaN/SiC substrates.     

High-Temperature Growth of GaN and Al<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Ga<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>N via Ammonia-Based Metalorganic Molecular-Beam Epitaxy

The effect of high-temperature growth on the crystalline quality and surface morphology of GaN and Al _x Ga_1?x N grown by ammonia-based metalorganic molecular-beam epitaxy (NH₃-MOMBE) has been investigated as a means of producing atomically smooth films suitable for device structures. The effects of V/III ratio on the growth rate and surface morphology are described herein. The crystalline quality of both GaN and AlGaN was found to mimic that of the GaN templates, with (002) x-ray diffraction (XRD) full-widths at half- maximum (FWHMs) of ~350 arcsec. Nitrogen-rich growth conditions have been found to provide optimal surface morphologies with a root-mean-square (RMS) roughness of ~0.8 nm, yet excessive N-rich environments have been found to reduce the growth rate and result in the formation of faceted surface pitting. AlGaN exhibits a decreased growth rate, as compared with GaN, due to increased N recombination as a result of the increased pyrolysis of NH₃ in the presence of Al. AlGaN films grown directly on GaN templates exhibited Pendellösung x-ray fringes, indicating an abrupt interface and a planar AlGaN film. AlGaN films grown for this study resulted in an optimal RMS roughness of ~0.85 nm with visible atomic steps.     

The effect of built-in electric field in GaN/AlGaN quantum wells with high AIN mole fraction

Spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization in hexagonal GaN/AlGaN heterostructures give rise to large built-in electric fields. The effect of the builtin electric field in GaN/Al_xGa_1−xN quantum wells was investigated for x=0.2 to 0.8 by photoluminescence studies. The quantum well structures were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on (0001) sapphire substrates. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy performed on the samples revealed abrupt interfaces and uniform layer thicknesses. The low temperature (4 K) photoluminescence peaks were progressively red-shifted due to the quantum confined Stark effect depending on the AlN mole fraction in the barriers and the thickness of the GaN quantum well. Our results verify the existence of very large built-in electric fields of up to 5 MV/cm in GaN/Al_0.8Ga_0.2N quantum wells.     

Characterization of AlGaN/GaN structures on various substrates grown by radio frequency-plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy

The structural properties and surface morphology of AlGaN/GaN structures grown on LiGaO₂ (LGO), sapphire, and hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE)-grown GaN templates are compared. AlGaN grown on LGO substrates shows the narrowest x-ray full width at half maximum (FWHM) for both symmetric 〈00.4〉 and asymmetric 〈10.5〉 reflections. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis on AlGaN surfaces on LGO substrates also show the smoothest morphology as determined by grain size and rms roughness. The small lattice mismatch of LGO to nitrides and easily achievable Ga-polarity of the grown films are the primary reasons for the smoother surface of AlGaN/GaN structure on this alternative substrate. Optimizations of growth conditions and substrate preparation results in step flow growth for an AlGaN/GaN structure with 300 Å thick Al_0.25Ga_0.75N on 2.4 μm thick GaN. A high III/V flux ratio during growth and recently improved polishing of LGO substrates aids in promoting two dimensional step flow growth. The GaN nucleation layer directly on the LGO substrate showed no evidence of mixed phase cubic and hexagonal structure that is typically observed in the nucleation buffer on sapphire substrates. Cross-sectional high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) was performed on an AlGaN/GaN heterostructure grown on LGO. The atomic arrangement at the AlGaN/GaN interface was sharp and regular, with locally observed monolayer and bilayer steps.     

Near-Infrared Absorption in Lattice-Matched AlInN/GaN and Strained AlGaN/GaN Heterostructures Grown by MBE on Low-Defect GaN Substrates

We have investigated near-infrared absorption and photocurrent in lattice-matched AlInN/GaN and strained AlGaN/GaN heterostructures grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) on low-defect GaN substrates for infrared device applications. The AlGaN/GaN heterostructures were grown under Ga-rich conditions at 745°C. Material characterization via atomic force microscopy and high-resolution x-ray diffraction indicates that the AlGaN/GaN heterostructures have smooth and well-defined interfaces. A minimum full-width at half-maximum of 92 meV was obtained for the width of the intersubband absorption peak at 675 meV of a 13.7 Å GaN/27.5 Å Al_0.47Ga_0.53N superlattice. The variation of the intersubband absorption energy across a 1 cm × 1 cm wafer was ±1%. An AlGaN/GaN-based electromodulated absorption device and a quantum well infrared detector were also fabricated. Using electromodulated absorption spectroscopy, the full-width at half-maximum of the absorption peak was reduced by 33% compared with the direct absorption measurement. This demonstrates the suitability of the electromodulated absorption technique for determining the intrinsic width of intersubband transitions. The detector displayed a peak responsivity of 195 μA/W at 614 meV (2.02 μm) without bias. Optimal MBE growth conditions for lattice-matched AlInN on low-defect GaN substrates were also studied as a function of total metal flux and growth temperature. A maximum growth rate of 3.8 nm/min was achieved while maintaining a high level of material quality. Intersubband absorption in AlInN/GaN superlattices was observed at 430 meV with full-width at half-maximum of 142 meV. Theoretical calculations of the intersubband absorption energies were found to be in agreement with the experimental results for both AlGaN/GaN and AlInN/GaN heterostructures.     

Surface and Interface Properties of Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition Grown a -Plane Mg x Zn1– x O (0?≤ x ≤?0.3) Films

The a-plane Mg _x Zn_1−x O (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) films were grown on r-plane () sapphire substrates using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Growth was done at temperatures from 450°C to 500°C, with a typical growth rate of ∼500 nm/h. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images show that the films are smooth and dense. X-ray diffraction (XRD) scans confirm good crystallinity of the films. The interface of Mg _x Zn_1−x O films with r-sapphire was found to be semicoherent as characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The Mg _x Zn_1−x O surfaces were characterized using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV). Low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) shows well-ordered and single-crystalline surfaces. The films have a characteristic wavelike surface morphology with needle-shaped domains running predominantly along the crystallographic c-direction. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements show a strong near-band-edge emission without observable deep level emission, indicating a low defect concentration. In-plane optical anisotropic transmission was observed by polarized transmission measurements.     

Specific features of kinetics of molecular beam epitaxy of compounds in the GaN-AlN system

The effect of growth conditions (V/III ratio, substrate temperature) on the properties of materials in AlN-GaN systems is discussed. A concept of the growth of the AlN/AlGaN/GaN multilayer heterostructure, which provides the improvement of crystal quality and surface morphology of the layers, is suggested and realized. The improvement of the properties of GaN in the AlN/AlGaN/GaN/AlGaN multilayer heterostructure is confirmed by a considerable increase in electron mobility in the two-dimensional electron gas formed at the upper heterointerface GaN/Al_0.3Ga_0.7N.     

Elevated-Temperature Annealing Effects on AlGaN/GaN Heterostructures

The effect of high-temperature annealing of undoped AlGaN/GaN heterostructures on different substrates was systematically studied between 1100°C and 1230°C. An AlN spacer layer was found to add stability to structures on sapphire substrates. AlGaN/GaN heterostructures on SiC substrates demonstrated excellent robustness for the temperature range studied, maintaining their mobility, sheet resistance, and sheet concentration values, even after annealing. A silicon nitride, SiN _x , capping layer was found to assist in minimizing surface roughness during annealing and maintaining the electrical characteristics of the heterostructures. AlGaN/GaN heterostructures on SiC substrates showed a 20% decrease in mobility for uncapped samples compared with SiN _x -capped samples.     

Comparison of various buffer schemes to grow GaN on large-area Si(111) substrates using metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition

A comparison of gallium-nitride (GaN) films grown on large-area Si(111) using a single aluminum-nitride (AlN) buffer, an AlN/graded-Al_xGa_1−xN buffer, and the introduction of additional low-temperature (LT)-grown AlN interlayers is reported. A graded-AlGaN buffer followed by additional LT-AlN interlayers is shown to completely eliminate cracking in nitride films of thickness >2 μm and also reduce the threading-dislocation density significantly. A partial compensation of GaN-tensile strain by the compressive-lattice strain induced by the AlGaN and AlN layers is responsible for this effect. The surface roughness is increased by the introduction of the LT-AlN buffers.     

采用AlN/SiNx钝化的高性能AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

两种不同的钝化层结构被应用到势垒层厚度为12 nm的AlGa/GaN 高电子迁移率场效应晶体管中。首先采用等离子增强原子层沉积(PEALD)技术生长5 nm的AlN薄膜,然后再覆盖50 nm的等离子增强化学气相淀积(PECVD)生长的SiNx。相比于传统的SiNx钝化,AlN钝化层的插入更有效地抑制了电流崩塌效应,同时获得了小的亚阈值斜率(SS)。AlN钝化层的插入增大了器件的射频跨导从而获得了较高的截止频率。另外,通过变温直流特性测试发现,AlN/SiNx钝化的器件在高温时饱和电流和最大跨导的衰退相对于仅采用SiNx钝化的器件都要小,表明AlN钝化层的插入改善了器件的高温稳定性。     

边欧姆工艺对AlN/GaN 异质结场效应晶体管极化梯度库仑场散射的影响

Using the measured capacitance–voltage and current–voltage characteristics of the rectangular Al N/Ga N heterostructure field-effect transistors(HFETs) with the side-Ohmic contacts, it was found that the polarization Coulomb field scattering in the Al N/Ga N HFETs was greatly weakened after the side-Ohmic contact processing, however, it still could not be ignored. It was also found that, with side-Ohmic contacts, the polarization Coulomb field scattering was much stronger in Al N/Ga N HFETs than in Al Ga N/Al N/Ga N and In0:17Al0:83N/Al N/Ga N HFETs, which was attributed to the extremely thinner barrier layer and the stronger polarization of the Al N/Ga N heterostructure.     

Lateral epitaxial overgrowth of GaN films on SiO2 areas via metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy

Lateral epitaxial growth and coalescence of GaN regions over SiO₂ masks previously deposited on GaN/AlN/6H-SiC(0001) substrates and containing 3 μm wide rectangular windows spaced 7 μm apart have been achieved. The extent and microstructural characteristics of these regions of lateral overgrowth were a complex function of stripe orientation, growth temperature, and triethylgallium (TEG) flow rate. The most successful growths were obtained from stripes oriented along 〈1 00〉 at 1100°C and a TEG flow rate of 26 μmol/min. A density of ∼10⁹ cm⁻² threading dislocations, originating from the underlying GaN/AlN interface, were contained in the GaN grown in the window regions. The overgrowth regions, by contrast, contained a very low density of dislocations. The surfaces of the coalesced layers had a terrace structure and an average root mean square roughness of 0.26 nm.     

Thermal oxidation of polycrystalline and single crystalline aluminum nitride wafers

Two types of aluminum nitride (AlN) samples were oxidized in flowing oxygen between 900°C and 1150°C for up to 6 h—highly (0001) textured polycrystalline AlN wafers and low defect density AlN single crystals. The N-face consistently oxidized at a faster rate than the Al-face. At 900°C and 1000°C after 6 h, the oxide was 15% thicker on the N-face than on the Al-face of polycrystalline AlN. At 1100°C and 1150°C, the oxide was only 5% thicker on the N-face, as the rate-limiting step changed from kinetically-controlled to diffusion-controlled with the oxide thickness. A linear parabolic model was established for the thermal oxidation of polycrystalline AlN on both the Al- and N-face. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the formation of a thicker crystalline oxide film on the N-face than on the Al-face, and established the crystallographic relationship between the oxide film and substrate. The oxidation of high-quality AlN single crystals resulted in a more uniform colored oxide layer compared to polycrystalline AlN. The aluminum oxide layer was crystalline with a rough AlN/oxide interface. The orientation relationship between AlN and Al₂O₃ was (0001) AlN//( ) Al₂O₃ and ( ) AlN//( ) Al₂O₃.     

An analysis for AlGaN/GaN modulation doped field effect transistor using accurate velocity-field dependence for high power microwave frequency applications

An analytical model of Al_0.15Ga_0.85N/GaN modulation doped field effect transistor (MODFET), which uses an accurate velocity field relationship and incorporates the dominant effect of piezoelectric polarization induced charge at the AlGaN/GaN interface is presented. The effect of traps has also been taken into account. The calculated DC characteristics are in excellent agreement with the measured data. The model is extended to predict the microwave performance of the device. High current levels (>500 mA/mm), large transconductance (160.83 mS/mm) and a high cutoff frequency (9.6 GHz) have been achieved analytically and are in close agreement with the experimental data.     

Epitaxial growth of nonpolar GaN films on r-plane sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition

Single-crystalline nonpolar GaN epitaxial films have been successfully grown on r-plane sapphire (Al₂O₃) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with an in-plane epitaxial relationship of GaN[1-100]//Al₂O₃[11-20]. The properties of the ~500 nm-thick nonpolar GaN epitaxial films grown at temperatures ranging from 450 to 880 °C are studied in detail. It is revealed that the surface morphology, the crystalline quality, and the interfacial property of as-grown ~500 nm-thick nonpolar GaN epitaxial films are firstly improved and then decreased with the growth temperature changing from 450 to 880 °C. It shows an optimized result at the growth temperature of 850 °C, and the ~500 nm-thick nonpolar GaN epitaxial films grown at 850 °C show very smooth surface with a root-mean-square surface roughness of 5.5 nm and the best crystalline quality with the full-width at half-maximum values of X-ray rocking curves for GaN(11-20) and GaN(10-11) of 0.8° and 0.9°, respectively. Additionally, there is a 1.7 nm-thick interfacial layer existing between GaN epitaxial films and r-plane sapphire substrates. This work offers an effective approach for achieving single-crystalline nonpolar GaN epitaxial films for the fabrication of nonpolar GaN-based devices.     

P- and N-type doping of GaN and AlGaN epitaxial layers grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

Mg- and Si-doped GaN and AlGaN films were grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and characterized by room-temperature photoluminescence and Hall-effect measurements. We show that the p-type carrier concentration resulting from Mg incorporation in GaN:Mg films exhibits a nonlinear dependence both on growth temperature and growth pressure. For GaN and AlGaN, n-type doping due to Si incorporation was found to be a linear function of the silane molar flow. Mg-doped GaN layers with 300K hole concentrations p ∼2×10¹⁸ cm⁻³ and Si-doped GaN films with electron concentrations n∼1×10¹⁹ cm⁻³ have been grown. N-type Al_0.10Ga_0.90N:Si films with resistivities as low as p ∼6.6×10⁻³ Ω-cm have been measured.     

Study on mobility enhancement in MOVPE-grown AlGaN/AlN/GaN HEMT structures using a thin AlN interfacial layer

Al_0.26Ga_0.74N/AlN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) structures with AlN interfacial layers of various thicknesses were grown on 100-mm-diameter sapphire substrates by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy, and their structural and electrical properties were characterized. A sample with an optimum AlN layer thickness of 1.0 nm showed a highly enhanced Hall mobility (μ_Hall) of 1770 cm²/Vs with a low sheet resistance (ρ_s) of 365 Ω/sq. (2DEG density n_s = 1.0 × 10¹³/cm²) at room temperature compared with those of a sample without the AlN interfacial layer (μ_Hall = 1287 cm²/Vs, ρ_s = 539 Ω/sq., and n_s = 0.9 × 10¹³/cm²). Electron transport properties in AlGaN/AlN/GaN structures were theoretically studied, and the calculated results indicated that the insertion of an AlN layer into the AlGaN/GaN heterointerface can significantly enhance the 2DEG mobility due to the reduction of alloy disorder scattering. HEMTs were successfully fabricated and characterized. It was confirmed that AlGaN/AlN/GaN HEMTs with the optimum AlN layer thickness show superior DC properties compared with conventional AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.