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In this paper, we report the use of three pendeo-epitaxy growth approaches as a way of reducing the threading dislocation density (TDD) of 20 × 20 μm2 GaN platelets to be used for the development of micro light-emitting diodes (μLEDs). The method relies on the coalescence of GaN crystallites grown on top of a network of deformable pillars etched into a silicon-on-insulator substrate. Our approach takes advantage of the creeping properties of SiO2 at the usual GaN epitaxial growth temperature, allowing the GaN crystallites to align and reduce the grain boundary dislocations. Furthermore, this bottom-up approach allows to get rid of the dry plasma etching step for μLEDs fabrication, which highly deteriorates sidewalls, reducing the efficiency of future displays. By optimizing the growth conditions and inducing asymmetric nucleation, a TDD of 2.5 × 108 cm−2 has been achieved on the GaN platelets, while keeping a smooth surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report on the innovative growth of semipolar "bow-tie"-shaped GaN structures containing InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) and their structural and luminescence characterization. We investigate the impact of growth on patterned (113) Si substrates, which results in the bow-tie cross section with upper surfaces having the (10 1 ¯ 1) orientation. Room temperature cathodoluminescence (CL) hyperspectral imaging reveals two types of extended defects: black spots appearing in intensity images of the GaN near band edge emission and dark lines running parallel in the direction of the Si stripes in MQW intensity images. Electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) identifies the black spots as threading dislocations propagating to the inclined (10 1 ¯ 1) surfaces. Line defects in ECCI, propagating in the [ 1 2 ¯ 10 ] direction parallel to the Si stripes, are attributed to misfit dislocations (MDs) introduced by glide in the basal (0001) planes at the interfaces of the MQW structure. Identification of these line defects as MDs within the MQWs is only possible because they are revealed as dark lines in the MQW CL intensity images, but not in the GaN intensity images. Low temperature CL spectra exhibit additional emission lines at energies below the GaN bound exciton emission line. These emission lines only appear at the edge or the center of the structures where two (0001) growth fronts meet and coalesce (join of the bow-tie). They are most likely related to basal-plane or prismatic stacking faults or partial dislocations at the GaN/Si interface and the coalescence region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meltback etching, a deteriorating chemical reaction occurring between gallium and silicon under typical metal organic chemical vapor deposition growth conditions, is a common problem that often limits the development of GaN on silicon substrates, in particular, patterned substrates, and therefore must be circumvented. To further understand this reaction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was performed in cross-section, and a proposed 2-dimensional model on how meltback etching evolves throughout the growth process is discussed, which indicated an inter-diffusion reaction occurring primarily between gallium and silicon where gallium from GaN diffuses into the silicon substrate while silicon from the substrate diffuses out and incorporates into the GaN crystal. Moreover, we demonstrate an anisotropic behavior of the gallium penetrating the silicon substrate, which has shown to be delimited by the Si f111g planes. Finally, an approach to prevent meltback etching by changing the fractions of nitrogen and hydrogen in the carrier gas is presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution, we performed the growth of a 3C-SiC/Si/3C-SiC layer stack on a Si(001) substrate by means of chemical vapor deposition. We show that, by tuning the growth conditions, the 3C-SiC epilayer can be grown along either the [111] direction or the [110] direction. The key parameter for the growth of the desired 3C-SiC orientation on the Si(110)/3C-SiC(001)/Si(001) heterostructure is highlighted and is linked to the Si epilayer surface morphology. The epitaxial relation between the layers has been identified using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We showed that, regardless of the top 3C-SiC epilayer orientation, domains rotated by 90° around the growth direction are present in the epilayer. Furthermore, the difference between the two 3C-SiC orientations was investigated by means of high magnification TEM. The results indicate that the faceted Si(110) epilayer surface morphology results in a (110)-oriented 3C-SiC epilayer, whereas a flat hetero-interface has been observed between 3C-SiC(111) and Si(110). The control of the top 3C-SiC growth direction can be advantageous for the development of new micro-electro-mechanical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have grown (11-22)-oriented GaN/Al0.5Ga0.5N quantum wells (QWs) using molecular beam epitaxy on GaN (11-22)-oriented templates grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy on m-plane oriented sapphire substrates. The performance of epitaxial growth of GaN/Al0.5Ga0.5N heterostructures on the semi-polar orientation (11-22) in terms of surface roughness and structural properties, i.e., strain relaxation mechanisms is discussed. In addition, high resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals very smooth QW interfaces. The photoluminescence of such samples are strictly originating from radiative recombination of free excitons for temperatures above 100 K. At high temperature, the population of localized excitons, moderately trapped (5 meV) at low temperature, is negligible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GaN films epitaxially-grown on M-sapphire may have different orientations, either nonpolar and semipolar. In this paper, the different epitaxial relationships are investigated in details thanks to transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that these relationships drastically depend on the nitridation conditions. Mechanisms explaining the different epitaxial relationships are proposed. These mechanisms take into account the formation of a nitridation layer, the lattice mismatches between the growing films, and the substrate, and the surface energies. It is, moreover, shown that the difference of symmetries between the M-sapphire surface and the epitaxial films leads to the formation of growth twins for the [formula] and [formula] orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]