High quality, epitaxial growth of AlN and AlxGal-xN by OMVPE has been demonstrated on single-crystal AIN substrates. Here we report characterization of epitaxial layers on an a-face AlN substrate using Rutherford Backscattering/ion channeling, atomic force microscopy (AFM), x-ray rocking curves, and preliminary electrical characterization. Ion channeling along the [1010] axis gives a channeling minimum yield of 1.5% indicating a very high quality epitaxial layer.

We perform parametrized density-functional calculations to predict the stability and formation mechanism of GaN nanotubes. Strain energies of GaN nanotubes are comparable to those of carbon nanotubes, suggesting the possibility for the formation of GaN nanotubes. We note that an intermediate phase with [4,6,10] polygons exist at armchair tube edge, which may play as a nucleation seed of further tube growth.

GaN implanted with donor(Si, S, Se, Te) or acceptor (Be, Mg, C) species was annealed at 900-1500°C using AIN encapsulation. No redistribution was measured by SIMS for any of the dopants and effective diffusion coefficients are ≤2×10-13 cm2 s-1 at 1400°C, except Be, which displays damage-enhanced diffusion at 900°C and is immobile once the point defect concentration is removed. Activation efficiency of ∼90% is obtained for Si at 1400°C. TEM of the implanted material shows a strong reduction in lattice disorder at 1400-1500°C compared to previous results at 1100°C. There is minimal interaction of the sputtered AIN with GaN under our conditions, and it is readily removed selectively with KOH.

Gallium nitride wafer epitaxy on large diameter substrates is critical for the future fabrication of large area UV linear or 2D imaging arrays, as well as for the economical production of other GaN-based devices. Typical group III-nitride deposition is now performed on 2-inch diameter or smaller sapphire substrates. Reported here are visible blind, UV GaN p-in photodetectors which have been fabricated on 3-inch diameter (0001) sapphire substrates by RF atomic nitrogen plasma MBE. The uniformity across the wafer of spectral responsivity and shunt resistance (R0) for the p-i-n photodetectors has been characterized. Spectral responsivity and 1/f noise as a function of temperature exceeding 250°C will be presented for the GaN p-i-n photodetectors. Spectral response with >0.17 A/W at peak wavelength and having 4-6 orders of magnitude visible rejection has been achieved. 1/f noise typically less than 10-14 A/Hz1/2 at room temperature also has been achieved with GaN p-i-n photodiodes. The results have been correlated with proposed models for dark current and 1/f noise in GaN diodes.

Ga+ and Au+ focused ion beams (FIB) are used to micromachine GaN films. The GaN micromachining has been studied at energies from 30-90 keV, incident angle from 0-30°, and number of repetitive scans from 10 to 50 scans. Trenches milled in GaN have vertical and smooth side-walls and very smooth bottoms. The micromachining rate was found to be fairly independent of ion dose, ranging from 0.4 to 0.6 μm3/nC for Ga+ and I to 2 Pm3/nC for Au+. This translates into an effective yield of of 6-7 atoms/ion for Ga+ and 21-26 atoms/ion for Au+. This represents the highest direct FIB removal yield reported to date. We have also investigated the micromachining of GaN substrate material: c-face sapphire. Using FIB Ga+, sapphire has an effective yield of ∼2-2.5 atoms/ion, or approximately 1/3 of the GaN sputtering yield. For the materials investigated, we found the sputtering yield to be inversely proportional to the strength of the material chemical bond. We also describe the application of the FIB μmachining technique to the fabrication of small period Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) mirrors for a short cavity GaN laser structure.

The growth of InGaN layers was carried out by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The nitrogen precursor was ammonia. The optical and structural properties of the InGaN layers have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence (PL). For optimized growth conditions, the PL spectrum of InGaN (x=0.1) alloy is narrow (FWHM ≤ 50 meV) and the Stokes shift measured by PL excitation is weak (<50 meV), i.e. near band edge transitions are observed. Under these conditions, flat surfaces can be obtained, and InGaN/GaN quantum wells (QWs) with sharp interfaces can be grown. On the other hand, when growth conditions depart from a narrow optimum window, the structural quality of the samples strongly degrade, whereas the luminescence spectra are dominated by deep levels, exhibiting a strong Stokes shift. MBE grown light emitting diodes (LEDs) using InGaN/GaN QWs have been fabricated. Their electroluminescence (EL) peaks at 440 nm at 300K.

Structural transformations in Ni/Si-based contacts to GaN occurring under heat treatment have been studied using transmission electron microscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry. Transition from non-ohmic to ohmic behavior correlates with reaction between Ni and Si, and decomposition of the initially formed interfacial Ni:Ga:N layer. Transport of dopant atoms from metallization into GaN testifies in favour of the SPR process of ohmic contact formation

The symmetry of the recombining electrons and holes in lightly photo-excited InGaN LEDs revealed through ODMR is related to the physical structure, band structure and defects present. Calculations of the electron-g within the k•p formalism give the average shift from the free-electron value for GaN but are not fully reconciled with the anisotropy. This theory is also extended to InGaN alloys for both pseudomorphic and relaxed layers. The average shift is close to the experimental values for the green LED. The strongly reduced hole anisotropies seen experimentally are explained by a recently published theory for acceptors in GaN.

We present a device fabrication technology and measurement results of both optically pumped and electrically injected InGaN/GaN-based distributed feedback (DFB) lasers operated at room temperature. For the optically pumped DFB laser, we demonstrate a complex coupling scheme for the first time, whereas the electrically injected device is based on normal index coupling. Threshold currents as low as 1. 1 A were observed in 500 μm long and 10 μm wide devices. The 3rd order grating providing feedback was defined holographically and dry-etched into the upper waveguiding layer by chemically-assisted ion beam etching. Even when operating these lasers considerably above threshold, a spectrally narrow emission (3.5 Å) at wavelengths around 400 nm was seen.

InGaN quantum-well-structure blue LEDs were grown on epitaxially laterally overgrown GaN (ELOG) and sapphire substrates. The output power of both LEDs was as high as 6 mW at a current of 20 mA. The LED on sapphire had a considerable amount of leakage current in comparison with that on ELOG. These results indicate that In composition fluctuation is not caused by threading dislocations (TDs), free carriers are captured by radiative recombination centers before they are captured by nonradiative recombination centers in InGaN, and that the dislocations form the leakage current pathway in InGaN. Red LED with an emission peak wavelength of 650 nm was fabricated by increasing the In composition and thickness of InGaN well layer. When the laser diodes (LD) was formed on the GaN layer above the SiO2 mask region, the threshold current density was as low as 3 kAcm-2. When the LD was formed on the window region, the threshold current density was as high as 6 to 9 kAcm-2. There is a possibility that a leakage current due to a large number of TDs caused the high threshold current density on the window region. InGaN multi-quantum-well (MQW) structure LDs grown on the ELOG substrate showed an output power as high as 420 mW under RT-CW operation. The longest lifetime of 9,800 hours at a constant output power of 2 mW was achieved. The InGaN MQW LDs were fabricated on a GaN substrate. The fundamental transverse mode was observed up to an output power of 80 mW.

The Gan heteroepitaxy on 6H-SiC is affected by the bad morphology of the substrate surface. We performed a hydrogen etching at 1550°C on the 6H-SiC(0001) substrates to obtain atomically flat terraces. An improvement of the structural properties of GaN grown by MBE on such substrates after deposition of a LT-AIN buffer layer is observed. A value of less than 220 arcsec of the FWHM of the XRD rocking curve, showing a reduced screw dislocations density, is comparable with the best results reported until now for thick GaN samples. Photoluminescence showed a structured near band edge emission spectrum with evidence of the A, B and C free exciton recombinations.

While significant strides have been made in the optimization of GaN-based devices on foreign substrates, a more attractive alternative would be homoepitaxy on GaN substrates. The primary motivation of this work is to explore the growth of thick films of GaN from the melt for the ultimate use as substrate material. We have previously demonstrated the synthesis of polycrystalline, wurtzitic gallium nitride and indium nitride by saturating gallium metal and indium metal with atomic nitrogen from a microwave plasma source. Plasma synthesis avoids the high equilibrium pressures required when molecular nitrogen is used as the nitrogen source. Here we report the growth of thick oriented GaN layers using the same technique by the introduction of (0001) sapphire into the melt to serve as a substrate. The mechanism of this growth is not established, but may involve transport of the metal as a liquid film onto the sapphire and subsequent reaction with atomic nitrogen. The films were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction showed that the GaN films were oriented with their c-axes parallel to the sapphire c-axis. The TEM analysis confirmed the orientation and revealed a dislocation density of approximately 1010 cm-2. The E2 Raman active phonon modes were observed in the GaN films.

Ambient gas effect on the epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) of GaN via metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) on a MOVPE-grown GaN (0001) / sapphire (0001) substrate with a SiO2 stripe mask has been studied by means of field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Different ambient gases of nitrogen, hydrogen and their mixture (mixture ratio, hydrogen: nitrogen = 1: 1) affect the lateral overgrowth rate, the surface morphology and the crystalline tilting of ELO-GaN layers. XRD revealed that the ELO-GaN layer on the SiO2 mask aligned along the <1100> direction exhibited anisotropic crystalline tilting toward <1120>. For ELO-GaN growth in nitrogen ambient, the growth rate of the (0001) facet decreases, the lateral overgrowth rate increases and the tilting of the ELO-GaN layer increases, while no smooth surface is obtained, in comparison with ELO-GaN growth in hydrogen ambient. For the mixture ambient, a smooth surface with a fast lateral overgrowth rate is achieved and the dislocation density is not more than 107 cm-2, which is comparable to that in hydrogen ambient.

Various methods have been used to initiate growth by Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) of GaN on sapphire, or other substrates, but there is always a problem with morphology and with a high defect density which results in the formation of a sub-grain boundary structure. We show that by using, homo-epitaxial growth on properly prepared bulk GaN substrates, combined with high temperature growth, we obtain a significant improvement in surface morphology. Growth at sufficiently high temperature leads to a rapid smoothing of the surface and to almost atomically flat surfaces over relatively large areas. Multi-Quantum Well structures grown on such GaN epitaxial films are dislocation free with abrupt interfaces.

The dissociation channels of two prominent bound exciton complexes in wurtzite GaN thin films are determined via an extensive temperature dependent photoluminescence study. The shallow donor bound exciton dissociation at low temperatures (T ≤ 50 K) is found to be dominated by the release of a free exciton with thermal activation energy consistent with the exciton localization energy. At higher temperatures a second dissociation channel with activation energy EA = 28 ± 2 meV is observed. The dissociation of a bound exciton complex with exciton localization energy Exloc = 11.7 meV is also dominated by the release of a free exciton. In contrast to previous studies evidence is presented against the hypothesis of this emission being due to the exciton bound to an ionized donor. We find that it originates most likely from an exciton bound to a neutral acceptor.

We present density-functional theory studies for a variety of surfaces and extended defects in GaN. According to previous theoretical studies {1010} type surfaces are electrically inactive. They play an important role in GaN since similar configurations occur at open-core screw dislocations and nanopipes as well as at the core of threading edge dislocations. Domain boundaries are found to consist of four-fold coordinated atoms and are also found to be electrically inactive. Thus, except for full-core screw dislocations which possess heavily strained bonds all investigated extended defects do not induce deep states into the band-gap. However, electrically active impurities in particular gallium vacancies and oxygen related defect complexes are found to be trapped at the stress field of the extended defects.

A method is presented for fabricating fully wet-etched InGaN/GaN laser cavities using photoenhanced electrochemical wet etching followed by crystallographic wet etching. Crystallographic wet chemical etching of n- and p-type GaN grown on c-plane sapphire is achieved using H3PO4 and various hydroxides, with etch rates as high as 3.2 μm/min. The crystallographic GaN etch planes are {0001}, {1010}, {1011}, {1012}, and {1013}. The vertical {1010} planes appear perfectly smooth when viewed with a field-effect scanning electron microscope (FESEM), indicating a surface roughness less than 5 nm, suitable for laser facets. The etch rate and crystallographic nature for the various etching solutions are independent of conductivity, as shown by seamless etching of a p-GaN/undoped, high-resistivity GaN homojunction.

Thermal residual stresses can detrimentally affect the electronic and optical properties of epitaxial films thereby shortening device lifetime. Based on our earlier work on thermal expansion of nitrides, we provide a finite element modeling analysis of the residual stress distribution of multilayered GaN and AlN on 6H-SiC. The effects of thickness and growth temperatures are considered in the analysis.

The surface morphology of GaN is observed by atomic force microscopy for growth on GaN and AlN buffer layers and as a function of III/V flux ratio. Films are grown on sapphire substrates by molecular beam epitaxy using a radio frequency nitrogen plasma source. Growth using GaN buffer layers leads to N-polar films, with surfaces strongly dependent on the flux conditions used. Flat surfaces can be obtained by growing as Ga-rich as possible, although Ga droplets tend to form. Ga-polar films can be grown on AlN buffer layers, with the surface morphology determined by the conditions of buffer layer deposition as well as the III/V ratio for growth of the GaN layer. Near-stoichiometric buffer layer growth conditions appear to support the flattest surfaces in this case. Three defect types are typically observed in GaN films on AlN buffers, including large and small pits and “loop” defects. It is possible to produce surfaces free from large pit defects by growing thicker films under more Ga-rich conditions. In such cases the surface roughness can be reduced to less than l nm RMS.

Hydrogen was ion-implanted into wurtzite-phase GaN, and its transport, bound states, and microstructural effects during annealing up to 980°C were investigated by nuclear-reaction profiling, ion-channeling analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and infrared (IR) vibrational spectroscopy. At implanted concentrations vl at.%, faceted H 2 bubbles formed, enabling identification of energetically preferred surfaces, examination of passivating N-H states on these surfaces, and determination of the diffusivity-solubility product of the H. Additionally, the formation and evolution of point and extended defects arising from implantation and bubble formation were characterized. At implanted H concentrations ^0.1 at.%, bubble formation was not observed, and ion-channeling analysis indicated a defect-related H site located within the [0001] channel.