Thermal stability of metal organic vapor phase epitaxy grown AlInN

AlInN layers with a thickness of 100 nm were grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy on GaN buffer layers on Si(111) substrates. By varying the growth temperature, In and NH3 flows, and reactor pressure, three series with different In contents were produced and thermally treated in the temperature range from 30 to 960 degrees C. The as grown and annealed layers were investigated by x-ray diffraction in standard and grazing incidence geometry. Nearly lattice matched samples with an indium concentration of 17%-18% show long time stability at annealing temperatures as high as 960 degrees C. At higher temperatures, the onset of severe Ga-Si meltback etching prevents further measurements. Nonlattice matched samples consist of pseudomorphic and relaxed parts. In the latter, a redistribution and loss of indium is observed upon annealing. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.