X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of gallium nitride films grown by radical-beam gettering epitaxy

Thin GaN films were grown on GaAs(111) substrates by radical-beam gettering epitaxy. The structural quality of the films was studied by high-resolution x-ray diffraction. The chemical composition of the GaAs surface and GaN film was studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is shown that Ga-N and As-N bonds are formed on the GaAs surface at initial growth stages at low temperatures. The state of the film-substrate interface was studied. It was found that prolonged annealing of GaN films in nitrogen radicals shifts the composition to nitrogen excess.