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InGaN/GaN quantum wells (QWs) with sub-nanometer thickness can be employed in short-period superlattices for bandgap engineering of efficient optoelectronic devices, as well as for exploiting topological insulator behavior in III-nitride semiconductors. However, it had been argued that the highest indium content in such ultra-thin QWs is kinetically limited to a maximum of 33%, narrowing down the potential range of applications. Here, it is demonstrated that quasi two-dimensional (quasi-2D) QWs with thickness of one atomic monolayer can be deposited with indium contents far exceeding this limit, under certain growth conditions. Multi-QW heterostructures were grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy, and their composition and strain were determined with monolayer-scale spatial resolution using quantitative scanning transmission electron microscopy in combination with atomistic calculations. Key findings such as the self-limited QW thickness and the non-monotonic dependence of the QW composition on the growth temperature under metal-rich growth conditions suggest the existence of a substitutional synthesis mechanism, involving the exchange between indium and gallium atoms at surface sites. The highest indium content in this work approached 50%, in agreement with photoluminescence measurements, surpassing by far the previously regarded compositional limit. The proposed synthesis mechanism can guide growth efforts towards binary InN/GaN quasi-2D QWs.

Introduction/Purpose: Short period superlattices (SPSs) comprising ultrathin InGaN/GaN quantum wells (QW) with thicknesses ranging from one to few (0002) monolayers (MLs) are promising for novel applications ranging from band gap engineering in optoelectronic devices to topological insulators. The strain relaxation behavior of a range of samples grown by varying the growth temperatures for the QWs and GaN barriers has been considered. Methods: In(Ga)N/GaN SPSs were deposited by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) on c-GaN/Al2O3 templates. Structural characterization was performed by high resolution transmission and scanning transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM/HRSTEM). Results: Strain relaxation through formation of stacking fault domains was observed with decreasing growth temperature. For the quantification of strain versus composition, peak finding with a recently established approach was implemented. This involves quantification of Z-contrast from HRSTEM observations by comparison with calculated composition-dependent graphs of InxGa1-xN/GaN atomic column intensity ratios obtained from multislice image simulations of energetically relaxed supercells under the frozen lattice approximation. Energetical relaxation was performed by molecular dynamics using an empirical interatomic potential, considering the ordered, disordered, and island models of QW structure. Comparison to the experimental observations was performed along the a-type zone axis that is appropriate to deduce average values for the QW composition and strain. Conclusions: The investigation concluded to the influence of growth temperature in the composition and structural properties of ultra-thin In(Ga)N/GaN QWs.

Short period superlattices (SPSs) of InxGa1-xN/GaN quantum wells (QW) with a thickness of one up to just a few atomic monolayers (MLs) are promising for bandgap and strain engineering towards advanced optoelectronics devices and novel topological insulators. We have considered 5-period InxGa1-xN/GaN SPSs deposited by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) on c-GaN/Al2O3 templates under metal-rich conditions. The nominal QW thickness was 1 ML and the GaN barriers were 10 nm thick. The SPSs were grown at various growth temperatures keeping the same temperature for both QWs and GaN barriers. Cs-corrected high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and probe-corrected scanning TEM (HRSTEM) observations were carried out in order to elucidate the effect of growth temperature on the structural quality, composition, and strain state of the QWs. Cross-sectional observations were conducted along the and projection directions. Atomic positions were identified on images using a peak finding algorithm and were employed in order to extract nanoscale strain maps. Furthermore, quantification of the Z-contrast of atomic columns on the HRSTEM observations was employed for the direct determination of the indium content in QWs. The thin foil relaxation phenomenon was considered in the analysis. Composition dependent strain graphs were calculated theoretically in order to associate the experimental strain measurements to the indium content. For that purpose, a series of energetically relaxed InxGa1-xN/GaN supercells were constructed taking into account several indium contents, and the QW thickness limited to 1 ML. For the relaxation of the supercells a ternary empirical interatomic potential was utilized using molecular dynamics simulations.

Gallium nitride (GaN) all-around (wrap) gate vertical nanowire (V-NW) field-effect transistors (FETs) are favorable for enhanced electrostatic control of the gate and selectivity for normally on/off operation. In this work, GaN V-NW FETs with a Schottky barrier gate (V-NW MESFETs), were fabricated for the first time. A nanofabrication process with comprehensive description of all processing steps is reported. It was validated with the demonstration of GaN V-NW MESFETs consisting of an array of 900 (30 × 30) GaN NWs with the narrowest until now reported diameter of 100 nm and all-around gate length of 250 nm. The GaN NWs were formed by a top-down approach, which combines conventional nanopatterning techniques and anisotropic wet etching of an initial GaN epilayer, grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy on a sapphire (0001) substrate. DC I-V characteristics exhibited normally-off operation and threshold voltage of +0.4 V, due to electron depletion region from the all-around Schottky barrier. A maximum drain-source current density (J ds) of 330 A cm-2 and maximum transconductance (g m) of 285 S cm-2 were obtained from I-V measurements. The results and directions for further optimization were discussed.

Current conduction mechanism, including electron mobility, electron drift velocity (vd) and electrical break-down have been investigated in a 0.5 μm-thick (0001) InN layer grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on a GaN/sapphire template. Electron mobility (μ) of 1040 cm2/Vs and a free electron concentration (n) of 2.1 × 1018 cm−3 were measured at room temperature with only a limited change down to 20 K, suggesting scattering on dislocations and ionized impurities. Photoluminescence spectra and high-resolution X-ray diffraction correlated with the Hall experiment showing an emission peak at 0.69 eV, a full-width half-maximum of 30 meV, and a dislocation density Ndis ∼ 5.6 × 1010 cm−2. Current-voltage (I-V) characterization was done in a pulsed (10 ns-width) mode on InN resistors prepared by plasma processing and Ohmic contacts evaporation. Resistors with a different channel length ranging from 4 to 15.8 μm obeyed the Ohm law up to an electric field intensity Eknee ∼ 22 kV/cm, when vd ≥ 2.5 × 105 m/s. For higher ...

The mechanism of Si outdiffusion related to the formation of Si-rich GaN clusters during the growth of GaN-on-Si by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) has been identified. GaN thin films were grown, on high resistivity Si (111) substrates at Ga-rich conditions to favour the 2D step-flow growth mode. Hall-effect measurements revealed very high electron background concentrations, ranging from 2 x 1018 cm-3 to 3 x 1019 cm-3, with degraded carrier mobility in the range of 5-30 cm2/Vs. SEM examination of surfaces and cross-sections of the samples revealed the presence of hollow GaN clusters on the film surface and voids at the Si/III-nitride interface. EDX spot analysis revealed dissolution of Si material in the GaN clusters. Growth of GaN on Si under stoichiometric conditions resulted in films without GaN clusters, which exhibited a serious reduction in carrier concentration, down to 1.4 x 1016 cm-3, with a simultaneous increase of the carrier mobility to 137 cm2/Vs. C-V carrier profile measurements were consistent with Hall-effect measurements and revealed a uniform electron concentration in the GaN film, down to the AlN nucleation layer (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

InxAl1-xN (0001) wurtzite layers with 0.2 0.45. In the case of the Al rich samples, an additional broad feature appears. The Raman spectra are fitted using the spatial correlation model providing the extent of the phonon confinement imposed by the alloy potential fluctuations is estimated. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

We report on the bonding environment of In in In X Al i - x N (0.07 < x < 0.25) and InyGai-yN (0.7

The in-plane lattice parameters of InN, GaN and Al 2 O 3 in a InN/GaN/Al 2 O 3 (0001) heterostructure have been measured as a function of temperature in the range of 25-350 °C, using high resolution X-ray diffraction. The results reveal that both the GaN and InN crystals follow the in-plane thermal expansion of the Al 2 O 3 substrate's lattice and there is no rearrangement of misfit dislocations at the InN/GaN and GaN/Al 2 O 3 interfaces. It was also found that either compressive or tensile character of residual biaxial strain is possible for the InN films, depending on the two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) growth mode of InN on the GaN(0001) buffer layer. The tensile strain is inherent to the nucleation and coalescence of 3D islands.

Indium gallium nitride alloy (0001) films in the entire composition range were grown heteroepitaxially by radio-frequency plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy on Ga-polarity GaN(0001)/Al 2 O 3 substrates. A growth approach based on low substrate temperatures and near-stoichiometric growth conditions was followed. Under these conditions incorporation efficiency of indium atoms was equal to one. X-ray diffraction data reveal that phase separation phenomena were effectively suppressed. As the indium mole fraction increased, a tendency of the strain state of the films to change from compressive to tensile was observed. This was attributed to growth through nucleation and coalescence of three-dimensional InGaN islands with high lattice mismatch on GaN(0001).