Preconditioning of c-plane sapphire for GaN molecular beam epitaxy by electron cyclotron resonance plasma nitridation

Nitridation of c-plane sapphire is commonly employed in molecular beam epitaxy of GaN, in order to improve the crystalline quality of the deposited layers. In this study, we use x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger sputter profiling, reflection high energy electron diffraction, low energy electron diffraction, and atomic force microscopy to examine chemical and structural properties of sapphire (0001) substrate upon exposure to nitrogen activated by an electron cyclotron resonance plasma source. Incorporation of nitrogen into the sapphire surface was verified with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and a monolayer of surface nitride is formed after approximately 60 min of nitridation at a substrate temperature of 620 °C. The thickness of the surface nitride layer is on the order of 4.5–6 A for nitridation times ranging from 60 to 180 min, as estimated from the recorded nitrogen Auger sputter profiles. Reflection high energy electron diffraction gave clear evidence for formation of surface aluminum nitri...

[1]  H. Riechert,et al.  Preconditioning of c-plane sapphire for GaN epitaxy by radio frequency plasma nitridation , 1997 .

[2]  H. Morkoç,et al.  Surface roughness of nitrided (0001) Al2O3 and AlN epilayers grown on (0001) Al2O3 by reactive molecular beam epitaxy , 1997 .

[3]  Shuji Nakamura,et al.  The Blue Laser Diode: GaN based Light Emitters and Lasers , 1997 .

[4]  H. Riechert,et al.  Plasma preconditioning of sapphire substrate for GaN epitaxy , 1997 .

[5]  Nicolas Grandjean,et al.  Nitridation of sapphire. Effect on the optical properties of GaN epitaxial overlayers , 1996 .

[6]  W. T. Taferner,et al.  Investigation of GaN deposition on Si, Al2O3, and GaAs using in situ mass spectroscopy of recoiled ions and reflection high‐energy electron diffraction , 1996 .

[7]  K. Uchida,et al.  Nitridation process of sapphire substrate surface and its effect on the growth of GaN , 1996 .

[8]  James S. Speck,et al.  Influence of sapphire nitridation on properties of gallium nitride grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition , 1996 .

[9]  A. Barbier,et al.  Determination Of The α-Al 2 O 3 (0001) Surface Relaxation and Termination by Measurements of Crystal Truncation Rods , 1996 .

[10]  W. C. Hughes,et al.  Reactive MBE Growth of GaN and GaN:H on GaN/SiC Substrates , 1996 .

[11]  Yicheng Lu,et al.  Effect of substrate pretreatment on growth of GaN on (0001) sapphire by low pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition , 1995 .

[12]  Fernando Ponce,et al.  High dislocation densities in high efficiency GaN‐based light‐emitting diodes , 1995 .

[13]  J. Verdeyen,et al.  Growth and characterization of GaN on sapphire (0001) using plasma‐assisted ionized source beam epitaxy , 1995 .

[14]  A. Yamamoto,et al.  Nitridation effects of substrate surface on the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition growth of InN on Si and α-Al2O3 substrates , 1994 .

[15]  R. Vaudo,et al.  Atomic nitrogen production in a molecular‐beam epitaxy compatible electron cyclotron resonance plasma source , 1994 .

[16]  Martin Prutton,et al.  Introduction to surface physics , 1994 .

[17]  Theodore D. Moustakas,et al.  Growth of GaN by ECR-assisted MBE , 1993 .

[18]  Hiroyuki Hoshi,et al.  Substrate Nitridation Effects on GaN Grown on GaAs Substrates by Molecular Beam Epitaxy Using RF-Radical Nitrogen Source , 1993 .

[19]  H. Kawakami,et al.  Epitaxial Growth of AlN Film with an Initial-Nitriding Layer on α-Al2O3 Substrate , 1988 .

[20]  D. P. Woodruff,et al.  Modern techniques of surface science , 1986 .

[21]  A. W. Smith,et al.  Structure of the (0001) Surface of α-Alumina , 1972 .