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Energetics of AlN Epitaxial Wetting Layers on SiC (0001)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

R. Di Felice ,
J. E. Northrup  and
J. Neugebauer
R. Di Felice
Affiliation:
Xerox PARC, 3333 Coyote Hill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304
J. E. Northrup
Affiliation:
Xerox PARC, 3333 Coyote Hill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304
J. Neugebauer
Affiliation:
Fritz-Haber-Institut, Faradayweg 4-6, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
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Abstract

We present a first-principles characterization of the initial stages of formation of AlN films on c-plane SiC substrates. Studying the competition between two-dimensional films and three-dimensional islands as a function of Al and N abundances, we find that a two-dimensional film can wet the surface in N-rich conditions. Ordered layer-by-layer growth can proceed to some extent on this wetting layer, and is improved by the formation of an atomically mixed interface which eliminates interface charge accumulation. Our results indicate that the stable AlN films grow in the (0001) orientation on the Si-terminated SiC(0001) substrate.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 449: Symposium N – III-V Nitrides , 1996 , 899
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

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References

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