Threading dislocation reduction via laterally overgrown nonpolar (11(2)over-bar0) a-plane GaN

Threading dislocation density reduction of nonpolar (11 (2) over bar0) a-plane GaN films was achieved by lateral epitaxial overgrowth (LEO). We report on the dependence of morphology and defect reduction on crystallographic stripe orientation. Stripes aligned along [0001] and [(1) over bar 100], the most favorable a-plane GaN LEO stripe orientations, possessed well-behaved, symmetric morphologies. Threading dislocation reduction via mask blocking was observed by transmission electron microscopy for [(1) over bar 100] stripes which had optimal rectangular cross-sections. Cathodoluminescence studies showed increased light emission for the overgrown regions in comparison to the window regions. The extent of lateral overgrowth of these stripes was asymmetric due to the opposing polarities of the vertical c-plane sidewalls. Conversely, threading dislocations propagated into the symmetric overgrown regions of [0001] stripes which possessed coexisting inclined and vertical {10 (1) over bar0} facets. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.