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.     

Development of partial-charge potential for GaN

Partial-charged potentials for GaN are systematically developed that describe a wide range of structural properties, where the reference data for fitting the potential parameters are taken from ab initial calculations or experiments. The present potential model provides a good fit to different structural geometries and high pressure phases of GaN. The high-pressure transition from wurtzite to rock-salt structure is correctly predicted yielding the phase transition pressure of about 55 GPa, and the calculated volume change at the transition is in good agreement with experimental data. The results are compared with those obtained by ab initio simulations.     

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.     

Cubic GaN/AlGaN Schottky-barrier devices on 3C-SiC substrates

In this work, we focus on the fabrication of cubic GaN based Schottky-barrier devices (SBDs) and measured current voltage (I-V) characteristics and the critical field for electronic breakdown. Phase-pure cubic GaN and c-Al_xGa_1 − xN/GaN structures were grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on 200 μm thick free-standing 3C-SiC (1 0 0) substrates, which were produced by HOYA Advanced Semiconductor Technologies Co., Ltd. The thickness of the c-GaN and c-Al_0.3Ga_0.7N epilayers were about 600 and 30 nm, respectively. Ni/In Schottky contacts 300 μm in diameter were produced on c-GaN and c-Al_0.3Ga_0.7N/GaN structures by thermal evaporation using contact lithography. A clear rectifying behavior was measured in our SBDs and the I-V behavior was analyzed in detail, indicating the formation of a thin surface barrier at the Ni-GaN interface. Annealing of the Ni Schottky contacts in air at 200 °C reduces the leakage current by three orders of magnitude. The doping density dependence of breakdown voltages derived from the reverse breakdown voltage characteristics of c-GaN SBDs is investigated. The experimental values of breakdown voltage in c-GaN are in good agreement with theoretical values and show the same dependence on doping level as in hexagonal GaN. From our experimental data, we extrapolate a blocking voltage of 600 V in c-GaN films with a doping level N_D = 5 × 10¹⁵ cm⁻³.     

Schottky barrier formation at nonpolar Au/GaN epilayer interfaces

A new approach to studying Schottky barrier formation on a nanometer scale is demonstrated using both Auger electron spectroscopy core level shift and secondary electron threshold work function measurements on cleaved epilayers. Band bending induced by metallization of cleaved epilayer surfaces can be investigated without introducing defects due to chemical or ion beam surface cleaning. For GaN epilayers, this approach also avoids complications due to piezoelectric effects on polar-axis growth surfaces. Initial investigations of Au and Ag Schottky contact formation on GaN in ultrahigh vacuum reveal the presence of a pinning level ∼1.7 eV above the valence band edge.     

Ultradense GaN nanopillar and nanopore arrays by self-assembly nanopatterning

We report on the details of controlled fabrication of highly crystalline gallium nitride (GaN) two-dimensional highly periodic ultradense nanopore and nanopillar arrays by self-assembly nanopatterning. Nanopore synthesis relies on the use of anodized alumina oxide template as a mask for dry etching of GaN top surface using chlorine gas. The inverse patterning is accomplished by site-selective deposition of metal nanodot array by e-beam evaporation of Ni through the pores of the template; after which the template is removed and dry etching is performed. The formed patterns demonstrate an excellent hexagonal order and uniformity according to fast Fourier transformation performed. The presented approach is robust, highly reproducible, and technically undemanding. Moreover, unreduced crystallinity of the produced nanopillars and nanopores was confirmed with Raman measurements, which suggests their possible use as future substrates for engineering advanced nano-optoelectronic devices and sensors.     

GaN缓冲层对生长InN薄膜的影响

采用金属有机物化学气相沉积(MOCVD)方法生长六方相InN薄膜，利用氮化镓(GaN)缓冲层技术制备了高质量薄膜，得到了其能带带隙0.7eV附近对应的光致发光光谱(PL). 通过比较未采用缓冲层，同时采用低温和高温GaN缓冲层，以及低温GaN缓冲层结合高温退火三种生长过程，发现低温GaN缓冲层结合高温退火过程能够得到更优表面形貌和晶体质量的InN薄膜，同时表征了材料的电学性质和光学性质. 通过对InN薄膜生长模式的讨论，解释了薄膜表面形貌和晶体结构的差异.     

Growth of InGaN HBTs by MOCVD

The design and growth of GaN/InGaN heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) are studied. Atomic-force microscopy (AFM) images of p⁺InGaN base layers (∼100 nm) deposited under various growth conditions indicate that the optimal growth temperature is limited to the range between 810 and 830°C due to a trade-off between surface roughness and indium incorporation. At these temperatures, the growth pressure must be kept above 300 Torr in order to keep surface pit density under control. An InGaN graded-composition emitter is adopted in order to reduce the number of V-shaped defects, which appear at the interface between GaN emitter and InGaN base and render an abrupt emitter-base heterojunction nearly impossible. However, the device performance is severely limited by the high p-type base contact resistance due to surface etching damage, which resulted from the emitter mesa etch.     

Giant traps on the surface of hydride vapor phase epitaxy-grown free-standing GaN

Extended defects on the top surface of a 250-μm-thick free-standing GaN sample, grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE), were studied by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and scanning surface potential microscopy (SSPM). For comparison, similar studies were carried out on as-grown HVPE-GaN samples. In addition to the commonly observed traps in as-grown HVPE-GaN, the DLTS measurements on free-standing GaN reveal a very high concentration of deep traps (∼1.0 eV) within about 300 nm of the surface. These traps show nonexponential capture kinetics, reminiscent of those associated with large defects, that can accumulate multiple charges. The SSPM measurements clearly reveal the presence of charged microcracks on the top surface of the sample. It appears that the “giant traps” may be associated with these microcracks, but we cannot rule out the involvement of other extended defects associated with the near-surface damage caused by the polishing/etching procedure.     

Si衬底InGaN/GaN多量子阱LED外延材料的微结构

用透射电子显微镜(TEM)和X射线双晶衍射仪(DCXRD)对在Si(111)衬底上生长的InGaN/GaN多量子阱(MQW)LED外延材料的微结构进行了观察和分析.从TEM高分辨像观察到,在Si和AlN界面处未形成SixNy非晶层,在GaN/AlN界面附近的GaN上有堆垛层错存在,多量子阱的阱(InGaN)和垒(GaN)界面明锐、厚度均匀;TEM和DCXRD进一步分析表明MQW附近n型GaN的位错密度为10acm-2量级,其中多数为b=1/3〈112-0〉的刃位错.