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Characterization of Inversion Domains in GaN by Electric Force Microscopy in Conjunction with Transmission Electron Microscopy and Wet Chemical Etching

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

F. Yun
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Electrical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
P. Visconti
Affiliation:
Also with: Istituto per lo Studio di Nuovi Materiali per l'Elettronica, CNR, Via Arnesano, Lecce, Italy Istituto Nazionale di Fisica della Materia, Unita' di Lecce and Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Innovazione, Universita' di Lecce, Italy
K. M. Jones
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Electrical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
A. A. Baski
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Electrical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
H. Morkoç
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Electrical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
A. Passaseo
Affiliation:
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica della Materia, Unita' di Lecce and Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Innovazione, Universita' di Lecce, Italy
E. Piscopiello
Affiliation:
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica della Materia, Unita' di Lecce and Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Innovazione, Universita' di Lecce, Italy
M. Catalano
Affiliation:
Also with: Istituto per lo Studio di Nuovi Materiali per l'Elettronica, CNR, Via Arnesano, Lecce, Italy
R. Cingolani
Affiliation:
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica della Materia, Unita' di Lecce and Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Innovazione, Universita' di Lecce, Italy
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Abstract

Inversion domains (IDs) in III-nitride semiconductors degrade the performance of such devices, and so their identification and elimination is critical.An inversion domain on a Ga- polarity samples appears as an N-polarity domain, which has a polarization reversed with respect to the rest of the surface and therefore has a different surface potential. Surface-contact-potential electric force microscopy (SCP-EFM) is an extension of atomic force microscopy (AFM) that allows imaging of the surface electrostatic potential. Previously, we established the particular mode of operation necessary to identify inversion domains on III-nitrides using a control sample. We have now studied inversion domains in GaN films grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The existence of inversion domains was also verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using multiple dark field imaging. In MOCVD grown GaN, we found predominant Ga-polarity with very low density of IDs, while in the MBE GaN, a mix polarity feature was identified.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

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References

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