Optical and structural investigation of a-plane GaN layers on r-plane sapphire with nucleation layer optimization

doi:10.1088/1674-1056/20/5/057801

Abstract Nonpolar a-plane GaN epilayers are grown on several r-plane sapphire substrates by metal organic chemical vapour deposition using different nucleation layers: (A) a GaN nucleation layer deposited at low temperature (LT); (B) an AlN nucleation layer deposited at high temperature; or (C) an LT thin AlN nucleation layer with an AlN layer and an AlN/AlGaN superlattice both subsequently deposited at high temperature. The samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy and photoluminescence. The GaN layers grown using nucleation layers B and C show narrower XRD rocking curves than that using nucleation layer A, indicating a reduction in crystal defect density. Furthermore, the GaN layer grown using nucleation layer C exhibits a surface morphology with triangular defect pits eliminated completely. The improved optical property, corresponding to the enhanced crystal quality, is also confirmed by temperature-dependent and excitation power-dependent photoluminescence measurements.

Keywords: a-plane GaN metal organic chemical vapour deposition AlN/AlGaN superlattice photoluminescence

Received: 17 November 2010
Revised: 27 December 2010
Accepted manuscript online:

PACS:	78.55.Cr	(III-V semiconductors)
	81.15.Kk	(Vapor phase epitaxy; growth from vapor phase)

Fund: Project supported by the National Key Science & Technology Major Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (Grant No. 2008ZX01002-002) and the Major Program and the Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 60890191 and 60736033).

Cite this article:

Zhang Jin-Feng (张金风), Xu Sheng-Rui (许晟瑞), Zhang Jin-Cheng (张进成), Hao Yue (郝跃) Optical and structural investigation of a-plane GaN layers on r-plane sapphire with nucleation layer optimization 2011 Chin. Phys. B 20 057801

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Optical and structural investigation of a-plane GaN layers on r-plane sapphire with nucleation layer optimization

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