In incorporation during the growth of quaternary III-nitride compounds by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

Epitaxial growth of quaternary AlGaInN compounds by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy has been demonstrated. Two-dimensional growth is achieved under In excess, with an In film segregating at the growth front. The maximum In incorporation is significantly affected by the substrate temperature and the Al mole fraction of the alloy. This behavior has been attributed to the enhancement of In segregation due to the high binding energy of AlN compared to InN and GaN. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.