No abstract

PACS 68. 35.Ct, 78.20.Ci, 81.15.Kk Undoped GaN (u-GaN) films were grown by low pressure metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy (LP-MOVPE) on sapphire substrates. In situ optical monitoring was applied to the growth process either using a LayTec EpiR-DA TT spectroscopic reflectometer or Filmetrics F30. Refractive indices of u-GaN films at 1060 ºC were obtained in a spectral range from 370-900 nm. A peak at 412±5 nm in refractive index spectra was observed, which most likely corresponds to the band-gap of hexagonal GaN at a temperature of 1060 ºC. Refractive indices below this band-gap are fitted well to the first-order Sellmeier formula. As an example of the applications of the refractive indices, the effective film thicknesses of GaN during the resumption from 3 dimensional (3D) to 2 dimensional (2D) growth have been calculated from the spectra recorded by a LayTec system using the optical constants obtained.

The application of spectroscopic reflectometry to the monitoring of epitaxial lateral overgrowth of GaN in low pressure metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy has been investigated. Real-time vertical and lateral growth rates and hence thickness and wing width of the growing GaN are extracted. A vertical growth enhancement was clearly observed at an early stage, followed by vertical growth suppression until full coalescence was achieved. The lateral to vertical growth ratio was obtained showing clear time dependent characteristics. The observations were explained by considering the mass transport between the growing (0001) facets and the {112¯0} sidewall facets.

Epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) has been used to reduce threading dislocation (TD) densities in GaN. This paper reports transmission and scanning electron microscopy studies of TDs in GaN films grown by ELO on GaN nanocolumns produced either during growth by MBE (method 1), or by self‐organised patterning on a uniform layer grown by MOCVD (method 2). In method 1, isolated nanocolumns grew without TDs, but some TDs formed when nanocolumns coalesced. Although some of these TDs extended through the overlayer, extensive lateral migration of others, depending on the dislocation type, led to dislocation annihilation, lowering the overall TD density. In method 2, a similar process of lateral migration of TDs was observed during ELO, resulting in a continuous GaN overlayer with TD densities less than 108 cm–2. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

No abstract