A theoretical model which accounts for a physisorption precursor of molecular nitrogen is proposed for the analysis of group III-nitride growth by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The kinetics of nitrogen evaporation are found to be an essential factor influencing the MBE growth process of group III-nitrides. The high thermal stability of nitrides is explained to be related to the desorption kinetics resulting in a low value of the evaporation coefficient. The values of the evaporation coefficients as functions of temperature are extracted from the experimental Langmuir evaporation data of GaN and AlN. Using the revised thermodynamic properties of the group III-nitrides, and the obtained values of the evaporation coefficient, the process parameter dependent growth rate and transition to extra liquid phase formation during the GaN MBE are calculated. The theoretical results are compared to the available experimental data.
