Growth of InN layers on Si (111) using ultra thin silicon nitride buffer layer by NPA-MBE

Indium nitride (InN) epilayers have been successfully grown by nitrogen-plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (NPA-MBE) on Si (111) substrates using different buffer layers. Growth of a (0001)-oriented single crystalline wurtzite-InN layer was confirmed by high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD). The Raman studies show the high crystalline quality and the wurtzite lattice structure of InN films on the Si substrate using different buffer layers and the InN/β-Si₃N₄ double buffer layer achieves minimum FWHM of E₂ (high) mode. The energy gap of InN films was determined by optical absorption measurement and found to be in the range of ~ 0.73-0.78 eV with a direct band nature. It is found that a double-buffer technique (InN/β-Si₃N₄) insures improved crystallinity, smooth surface and good optical properties.