Effect of the thickness of InGaN interlayer on a-plane GaN epilayer

In this paper, we use the a-plane InGaN interlayer to improve the property of a-plane GaN. Based on the a-InGaN interlayer, a template exhibits that a regular, porous structure, which acts as a compliant effect, can be obtained to release the strain caused by the lattice and thermal mismatch between a-GaN and r-sapphire. We find that the thickness of InGaN has a great influence on the growth of a-GaN. The surface morphology and crystalline quality both are first improved and then deteriorated with increasing the thickness of the InGaN interlayer. When the InGaN thickness exceeds a critical point, the a-GaN epilayer peels off in the process of cooling down to room temperature. This is an attractive way of lifting off a-GaN films from the sapphire substrate.