Selective-Area Growth Mechanism of GaN Microrods on a Plateau Patterned Substrate

This study provides experimental evidence regarding the mechanism of gallium nitride (GaN) selective-area growth (SAG) on a polished plateau-patterned sapphire substrate (PP-PSS), on which aluminum nitride (AlN) buffer layers are deposited under the same deposition conditions. The SAG of GaN was only observed on the plateau region of the PP-PSS, irrespective of the number of growth cycles. Indirect samples deposited on the bare c-plane substrate were prepared to determine the difference between the AlN buffer layers in the plateau region and silicon oxide (SiO2). The AlN buffer layer in the plateau region exhibited a higher surface energy, and its crystal orientation is indicated by AlN [001]. In contrast, regions other than the plateau region did not exhibit crystallinity and presented lower surface energies. The direct analysis results of PP-PSS using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) are similar to the results of the indirect samples. Therefore, under the same conditions, the GaN SAG of the deposited layer is related to crystallinity, crystal orientation, and surface energy.

Automated summary

This study provides experimental evidence on the mechanism of gallium nitride (GaN) selective-area growth (SAG) on a polished plateau-patterned sapphire substrate (PP-PSS) with aluminum nitride (AlN) buffer layers under the same deposition conditions. The SAG of GaN was found only on the plateau region of the PP-PSS, regardless of the number of growth cycles. The analysis shows that the AlN buffer layer in the plateau region has a higher surface energy and a crystal orientation indicated by AlN [001], while other regions exhibit lower crystallinity and surface energies. The direct analysis results of PP-PSS using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) support the findings of the indirect samples. Therefore, the crystallinity, crystal orientation, and surface energy play a role in the GaN SAG of the deposited layer under the same conditions.