Improvements in a-plane GaN crystal quality by a two-step growth process

Nonpolar (11 (2) over bar0) a-plane GaN films have been grown by metal-organic vapor deposition on r-plane (1 (1) over bar 02) sapphire. Lateral growth is favored using a low V:III ratio resulting in films with a smooth surface, while pitted films are grown at a high V:III ratio indicating preferential on-axis growth. High-resolution x-ray diffraction analysis of both film types showed a strong anisotropy in the peak width of the symmetric omega rocking curve with respect to the in-plane orientation, phi. In-plane isotropic behavior of crystallinity with overall reduced omega full width at half maximum values was achieved when the growth was initiated at a high V:III ratio before reducing the V:III ratio for film coalescence. An improvement of crystal quality through initial surface roughening was equally realized by the incorporation of partial-coverage SiNx interlayers. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.