Partial strain relaxation by stacking fault generation in InGaN multiple quantum wells grown on (1(1)over-bar01) semipolar GaN

We have investigated the structural properties and relaxation phenomenon of InGaN multiple quantum wells (QWs) on (1 (1) over bar 01) semipolar GaN templates grown on patterned (001) silicon substrates by selective area growth technique. Our studies by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction reciprocal space mapping reveal that QWs emitting light at 540 nm experience significant strain relaxation along the in-plane [1 (1) over bar0 (2) over bar] direction by the generation of an array of basal stacking faults (BSF). The generation of BSFs in 540 nm QWs could be an important factor limiting its luminescence efficiency. (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3549561]