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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.

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.