Articles
  • Evolution of strain throughout gallium nitride deposited on silicon carbide 
  • M.A. Mastroa, N.D. Bassima, J.A. Freitas Jr.a, M.E. Twigga, C.R. Eddy Jr.a, D.K. Gaskilla, R.L. Henrya, R.T. Holma, J. Kimb,*, P.G. Neudeckc, A.J. Trunekd and J.A. Powelle
  • a Electronic Science and Technology Division, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 b Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul Korea c NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44135 d OAI, Cleveland, Ohio 44135 e Sest Inc., Cleveland, Ohio 44135
Abstract
During GaN growth on an on-axis SiC substrate, a large density of dislocations (similar to 10(9) cm(-2)) is unavoidably generated by the GaN/SiC misfit, uncontrolled misorientation in the substrate and defects present at the surface of the substrate. Recently a unique SiC substrate was developed with step-free and stepped mesas as well as continuous surface areas similar to a standard wafer all in close proximity. It is now possible to isolate the influence of defects and steps on the deposition of GaN on SiC. This paper provides a link between the dislocation environment and the strain state in the GaN film as well as the change of this strain with increasing thickness.

Keywords: gallium nitride; silicon carbide; strain; growth

This Article

  • 2007; 8(5): 331-335

    Published on Oct 30, 2007