Hexagonal AlN Layers Grown on Sulfided Si(100) Substrate

We have studied the influence of sulfide passivation on the initial stages of aluminum nitride (AlN)-layer nucleation and growth by hydride vapor-phase epitaxy (HVPE) on (100)-oriented single-crystalline silicon substrates. It is established that the substrate pretreatment in (NH4)(2)S aqueous solution leads to the columnar nucleation of hexagonal AlN crystals of two modifications rotated by 30A degrees relative to each other. Based on the sulfide treatment, a simple method of oxide removal from and preparation of Si(100) substrate surface is developed that can be used for the epitaxial growth of group-III nitride layers.