Ok-Hyun Nam

Lateral epitaxy of low defect density GaN layers via organometallic vapor phase epitaxy

Organometallic vapor phase lateral epitaxy and coalescence of GaN layers originating from GaN stripes deposited within 3-μm-wide windows spaced 3 μm apart and contained in SiO2 masks on GaN/AlN/6H–SiC(0001) substrates are reported. The extent and microstructural characteristics of the lateral overgrowth were a strong function of stripe orientation. A high density of threading dislocations, originating from the interface of the underlying GaN with the AlN buffer layer, were contained in the GaN grown in the window regions. The overgrowth regions, by contrast, contained a very low density of dislocations. The coalesced layers had a rms surface roughness of 0.25 nm.

Dislocation density reduction via lateral epitaxy in selectively grown GaN structures

The microstructure and the lateral epitaxy mechanism of formation of homoepitaxially and selectively grown GaN structures within windows in SiO2 masks have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy. The structures were produced by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy for field emission studies. A GaN layer underlying the SiO2 mask provided the crystallographic template for the initial vertical growth of the GaN hexagonal pyramids or striped pattern. The SiO2 film provided an amorphous stage on which lateral growth of the GaN occurred and possibly very limited compliancy in terms of atomic arrangement during the lateral growth and in the accommodation of the mismatch in the coefficients of thermal expansion during cooling. Observations with TEM show a substantial reduction in the dislocation density in the areas of lateral growth of the GaN deposited on the SiO2 mask. In many of these areas no dislocations were observed.

OPTICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF LATERAL EPITAXIAL OVERGROWN GAN LAYERS

The optical properties of homoepitaxial GaN layers deposited by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy on stripe-patterned GaN films on 6H-SiC substrates have been investigated. Analysis of the spatially-resolved Raman scattering spectra indicate an improvement in material quality of the overgrown region. Room-temperature color cathodoluminescence imaging and low-temperature photoluminescence measurements indicate that a donor and an acceptor, different from those detected in the underlying GaN/AlN/SiC substrate, have been incorporated in the epitaxial layer. Detailed photoluminescence studies of the near-band-edge emission strongly suggest that Si is the additional donor detected in the homoepitaxial GaN layer. Its occurrence, along with that of an acceptor-related defect which is primarily found in the laterally overgrown region, is discussed.

Electron emission characteristics of GaN pyramid arrays grown via organometallic vapor phase epitaxy

Selective growth of arrays of silicon-doped GaN (Si:GaN) pyramids for field emitter applications has been achieved. The electron emission characteristics of these arrays has been measured using techniques such as field emission, field emission energy distribution analysis (FEED), photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM), and field emission electron microscopy (FEEM). The field emission current–voltage (I–V) results indicate an average threshold field as low as 7 V/μm for an emission current of 10 nA. It is suggested that the low threshold field value is a consequence of both the low work function of Si:GaN and the field enhancement of the pyramids. The results of the FEEM and FEED measurements indicate agreement with the field emission I–V characteristics. The FEED results indicate that the Si:GaN pyramids are conducting, and that no significant ohmic losses are present between the top contact to the array and the field emitting pyramids. The PEEM and FEEM images show that the emission from the arrays is ...

Thermal mismatch stress relaxation via lateral epitaxy in selectively grown GaN structures

A reduction in the dislocation density of 104–105 cm−2 has been achieved via lateral epitaxial overgrowth (LEO) of GaN films selectively grown from stripes etched in SiO2 masks deposited on GaN/AlN/6H–SiC(0001) heterostructures. The magnitudes and distribution of stresses generated in the LEO GaN layer and the SiO2, due primarily to differences in the coefficients of thermal expansion, were modeled using finite element (FE) analysis. These calculations showed that localized compressive stress fields of ≈3 GPa occurred at the edges of the LEO GaN in the vicinity of the GaN/SiO2 interface. Localized compression along the GaN substrate/SiO2 interface and tension along the 〈0001〉 direction were responsible for the change in shape of the SiO2 stripes from rectangular with flat sides to an airfoil shape with curved sides. The FE calculations also revealed that an increase in the width of the LEO GaN regions over the SiO2 or the reduction in the separation between the GaN stripes (all other dimensions being fixe...

Variation of GaN valence bands with biaxial stress and quantification of residual stress

Low-temperature reflectance data on epitaxial GaN thin-film samples covering the widest range of tensile and compressive stress (−3.8–3.5 kbar) thus far explicitly show the nonlinear behavior of the B–A and C–A splittings versus the energy of the A exciton. Lineshape ambiguities that hindered previous interpretations have been resolved with reciprocal-space analysis, allowing us to obtain band parameters such as ΔSO=17.0±1meV with increased confidence.

Electron emission properties of crystalline diamond and III-nitride surfaces

Abstract Wide bandgap semiconductors have the possibility of exhibiting a negative electron affinity (NEA) meaning that electrons in the conduction band are not bound by the surface. The surface conditions are shown to be of critical importance in obtaining a negative electron affinity. UV-photoelectron spectroscopy can be used to distinguish and explore the effect. Surface terminations of molecular adsorbates and metals are shown to induce an NEA on diamond. Furthermore, a NEA has been established for epitaxial AlN and AlGaN on 6H–SiC. Field emission measurements from flat surfaces of p-type diamond and AlN are similar, but it is shown that the mechanisms may be quite different. The measurements support the recent suggestions that field emission from p-type diamond originates from the valence band while for AlN on SiC, the field emission results indicate emission from the AlN conduction band. We also report PEEM (photo-electron emission microscopy) and FEEM (field electron emission microscopy) images of an array of nitride emitters.

Organometallic Vapor Phase Lateral Epitaxy of Low Defect Density GaN Layers

Lateral epitaxial overgrowth (LEO) of GaN layers has been achieved on 3 μm wide and 7 μm spaced stripe windows contained in SiO 2 masks on GaN/AIN/6H-SiC(0001) substrates via organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE). The extent and microstructural characteristics of lateral overgrowth were a complex function of stripe orientation, growth temperature and triethylgallium (TEG) flow rate. A high density of threading dislocations, originating from the interface of the underlying GaN with the AIN buffer layer, were contained in the GaN grown in the window regions. The overgrowth regions, by contrast, contained a very low density of dislocations. The second lateral epitaxial overgrowth layers were obtained on the first laterally grown layers by the repetition of SiO 2 deposition, lithography and lateral epitaxy.

The influence of band offsets on the IV characteristics for GaN/SiC heterojunctions

Abstract GaN/SiC heterojunctions can improve the performance considerably for bipolar transistors based on SiC technology. In order to fabricate such devices with a high current gain, the origin of the low turn-on voltage for the heterojunction has to be investigated, which is believed to decrease the minority carrier injection considerably. In this work heterojunction diodes are compared and characterized. For the investigated diodes, the GaN layers have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), metal organic chemical vapor deposition, and hydride vapor phase epitaxy. A diode structure fabricated with MBE is presented here, whereas others are collected from previous publications. The layers were grown either with a low temperature buffer, AlN buffer, or without buffer layer. The extracted band offsets are compared and included in a model for a recombination process assisted by tunneling, which is proposed as explanation for the low turn-on voltage. This model was implemented in a device simulator and compared to the measured structures, with good agreement for the diodes with a GaN layer grown without buffer layer. In addition the band offset has been calculated from Schottky barrier measurements, resulting in a type II band alignment with a conduction band offset in the range 0.6–0.9 eV. This range agrees well with the values extracted from capacitance–voltage measurements.

Lateral epitaxial overgrowth of and defect reduction in GaN thin films

The lateral overgrowth of GaN stripes patterned in a SiO/sub 2/ mask deposited on GaN film/AlN buffer layer/6H-SiC(0001) substrates was investigated. To achieve lateral overgrowth, the second layer of GaN was deposited on the initial underlying GaN layer through the windows in the SiO/sub 2/ mask. The deposited material grew vertically to the top of the mask and then both laterally over the mask and vertically until the lateral growth fronts from many different windows coalesced and formed a continuous layer.