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Transmission Electron Microscopy Study of Nonpolar a-Plane GaN Grown by Pendeo-Epitaxy on (1120) 4H-SiC.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

D.N. Zakharov
Affiliation:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, MS 62-203, Berkeley, CA 94720
Z. Liliental-Weber
Affiliation:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, MS 62-203, Berkeley, CA 94720
B. Wagner
Affiliation:
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
Z.J. Reitmeier
Affiliation:
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
E.A. Preble
Affiliation:
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
R.F. Davis
Affiliation:
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
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Abstract

Pendeo-epitaxy has been applied to nonpolar a-plane GaN layers in order to observe if such process will lead to defect reduction in comparison with direct growth on this plane. Uncoalesced and coalesced a-plane GaN layers with thicknesses 2μm and 12μm, respectively, have been studied by conventional and high resolution electron microscopy. The following structural defects have been observed in pendeo-epitaxial layers: (1) basal stacking faults, (2) threading dislocations, and (3) prismatic stacking faults. A drastic decrease in the density of threading dislocations and stacking faults was observed in ‘wing’ areas with respect to ‘seed’ areas. Cross-section images reveal cracks and voids at the areas where two coalesced wings meet each other. High resolution electron microscopy shows that the majority of stacking faults are low-energy planar defects of the types I1, I2 and I3. The I3 type basal stacking fault, predicted theoretically, was observed experimentally for the first time.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

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