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Sapphire decomposition and inversion domains in N-polar aluminum nitride

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4862982· OSTI ID:22280581
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7919 (United States)
  2. HexaTech, Inc., 991 Aviation Pkwy, Suite 800, Morrisville, North Carolina 27560 (United States)

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques and potassium hydroxide (KOH) etching confirmed that inversion domains in the N-polar AlN grown on c-plane sapphire were due to the decomposition of sapphire in the presence of hydrogen. The inversion domains were found to correspond to voids at the AlN and sapphire interface, and transmission electron microscopy results showed a V-shaped, columnar inversion domain with staggered domain boundary sidewalls. Voids were also observed in the simultaneously grown Al-polar AlN, however no inversion domains were present. The polarity of AlN grown above the decomposed regions of the sapphire substrate was confirmed to be Al-polar by KOH etching and TEM.

OSTI ID:
22280581
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 104; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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