Miyeon Jue

Nitridation- and Buffer-Layer-Free Growth of [1100]-Oriented GaN Domains on m-Plane Sapphire Substrates by Using Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy

Over a wide range of growth conditions, GaN domains were grown on bare m-plane sapphire substrates by using hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE), and the relation between these growth conditions and three possible preferred crystallographic orientations ([1100], [1103], [1122]) of GaN domains was investigated. In contrast with the previous reports by other groups, our results revealed that preferentially [1100]-oriented GaN domains were grown without low-temperature nitridation or a buffer layer, and that the growth condition of preferentially [1100]-oriented GaN was insensitive to V/III ratio.

A surface flattening mechanism of a heteroepitaxial film consisting of faceted non-flat top twins: [11¯03¯]-oriented GaN films grown on m-plane sapphire substrates

We carried out experiments and computational simulations in order to answer a yet unanswered question about a surface flattening mechanism of a [11¯03¯]-oriented GaN film consisting of faceted non-flat top twins. Our results revealed that an overgrowth of one variant of twins over the other, which was manifested only at a thickness larger than a few microns due to a slight asymmetric crystallographic tilt (1.0° ± 0.4°) of twins, played a key role in a surface flattening mechanism. In addition, we experimentally demonstrated that GaN grown on a SiO2-patterned m-plane sapphire substrate had no asymmetric tilt and that no surface flattening occurred.

Self-regulated in-plane polarity of [11¯00]-oriented GaN domains coalesced from twins grown on a SiO2-patterned m-plane sapphire substrate

In-plane polarity of [11¯00]-oriented GaN domains coalesced from twins grown on a SiO2-patterned m-plane sapphire substrate was observed to be self-regulated in such a way that basal faces of coalesced domains were mainly found to have the (0001¯) polarity only. This self-regulation behavior of in-plane polarity was explained by a computational simulation of plan-view surface morphology evolution during coalescence of twins. Based on a computational simulation, asymmetrically suppressed growth rates of twins near a SiO2 pattern were proposed to be responsible for the survival of the slower growing (0001¯) basal faces instead of the faster growing (0001) basal faces during coalescence of twins.

Spontaneous inversion of in-plane polarity of a-oriented GaN domains laterally overgrown on patterned r-plane sapphire substrates

Spontaneously regulated in-plane polarity inversion of a-oriented GaN domains has been demonstrated for the first time. Crystallographic analysis revealed that each domain grown on circular-hole-patterned r-plane sapphire substrates has basal faces with oppositely oriented in-plane polarity. The inverted orientation of in-plane polarity on the opposite basal faces is not due to merging between in-plane polarity-inverted domains nucleated on the patterned r-plane sapphire substrate, but it was found to be due to spontaneous formation of an inversion domain boundary on the growth fronts of existing domains. This result provides new insights into controlling the in-plane polarity of a-oriented GaN, because the nucleation of in-plane polarity-inverted domains of a-oriented GaN on r-plane sapphire is symmetrically not allowed.

Mechanism of preferential nucleation of [\bf 1{\overline 1}0{\overline 3}]-oriented GaN twins on an SiO2-patterned m-plane sapphire substrate

The mechanism of preferential nucleation of [1{\overline 1}0{\overline 3}]-oriented GaN faceted twins on an SiO2-patterned m-plane sapphire substrate was investigated. Each variant of twins, which were enclosed by c- and m-facets, was observed to be preferentially nucleated over the opposite sides of an SiO2 pattern. It was hypothesized, from the fact that the same method of Legendre transformation is applied to a Wulff plot and a kinetic Wulff plot to determine the growth morphology of a crystalline domain, that the effective surface energy of c- and m-facets would be proportional to the growth rate of the respective facet. On the basis of this hypothesis, minimization of the effective surface energy of a nucleated domain was proposed as a mechanism of preferential nucleation. This proposed mechanism successfully explained the preferential nucleation behaviour.

Polarity-inverted lateral overgrowth and selective wet-etching and regrowth (PILOSWER) of GaN

On an SiO2-patterned c-plane sapphire substrate, GaN domains were grown with their polarity controlled in accordance with the pattern. While N-polar GaN was grown on hexagonally arranged circular openings, Ga-polar GaN was laterally overgrown on mask regions due to polarity inversion occurring at the boundary of the circular openings. After etching of N-polar GaN on the circular openings by H3PO4, this template was coated with 40-nm Si by sputtering and was slightly etched by KOH. After slight etching, a thin layer of Si left on the circular openings of sapphire,but not on GaN, was oxidized during thermal annealing and served as a dielectric mask during subsequent regrowth. Thus, the subsequent growth of GaN was made only on the existing Ga-polar GaN domains, not on the circular openings of the sapphire substrate. Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed no sign of threading dislocations in this film. This approach may help fabricating an unholed and merged GaN film physically attached to but epitaxially separated from the SiO2-patterned sapphire.

Faceted growth of ({\bf {\overline 1}103})-oriented GaN domains on an SiO2-patterned m-plane sapphire substrate using polarity inversion

Heteroepitaxial growth of ({\overline 1}103)-oriented GaN domains on m-plane sapphire is energetically unfavourable in comparison with that of (1{\overline 1}0{\overline 3})-oriented GaN domains, but the faceted domains with ({\overline 1}103)-oriented GaN reveal a more m-facet-dominant configuration than (1{\overline 1}0{\overline 3})-oriented GaN in such a way that the quantum-confined Stark effect can be more effectively suppressed. It is reported here, for the first time, that semipolar ({\overline 1}103)-oriented and faceted GaN domains can be grown on an SiO2-patterned m-plane sapphire substrate by employing polarity inversion of initially nucleated (1{\overline 1}0{\overline 3})-oriented GaN domains. This polarity inversion of semipolar GaN was found to occur when the domains were grown with a 20–37.5 times higher V/III ratio and 70 K lower growth temperature than corresponding parameters for polarity-not-inverted domains. This work opens up a new possibility of effective suppression of the quantum-confined Stark effect by polarity-controlled semipolar GaN in an inexpensive manner in comparison with homoepitaxial growth of ({\overline 1}103)-oriented GaN on a GaN substrate.

The determining factor of a preferred orientation of GaN domains grown on m -plane sapphire substrates

Epitaxial lateral overgrowth in tandem with the first-principles calculation was employed to investigate the determining factor of a preferred orientation of GaN on SiO2-patterned m-plane sapphire substrates. We found that the (100)-orientation is favored over the (10)-orientation in the region with a small filling factor of SiO2, while the latter orientation becomes preferred in the region with a large filling factor. This result suggests that the effective concentration determines the preferred orientation of GaN: the (100)- and (10)-orientations preferred at their low and high concentrations, respectively. Our computational study revealed that at a low coverage of Ga and N atoms, the local atomic arrangement resembles that on the (10) surface, although the (100) surface is more stable at their full coverage. Such a (10)-like atomic configuration crosses over to the local structure resembling that on the (100) surface as the coverage increases. Based on results, we determined that high effective concentration of Ga and N sources expedites the growth of the (10)-orientation while keeping from transition to the (100)-orientation. At low effective concentration, on the other hand, there is a sufficient time for the added Ga and N sources to rearrange the initial (10)-like orientation to form the (100)-orientation.