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Title: Photoelectric Properties of GaN Layers Grown by Plasma-Assisted Molecular-Beam Epitaxy on Si(111) Substrates and SiC/Si(111) Epitaxial Layers

Journal Article · · Semiconductors
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  1. St. Petersburg Academic University (Russian Federation)
  2. Institute of Problems of Mechanical Engineering, Russian Academy of Sciences (Russian Federation)

The photoelectric properties of GaN/SiC/Si(111) and GaN/Si(111) heterostructures grown by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy under the same growth conditions on identical silicon substrates, but with different buffer layers, are experimentally investigated. The GaN/SiC/Si(111) structure is formed on a Si substrate with the SiC buffer layer grown by a new atom-substitution technique and the GaN/Si(111) structure, on a Si substrate subjected to pre-epitaxial plasma nitridation. The significant effect of carbon-vacancy clusters contained in the SiC layer on the growth of the GaN layer and its optical and photoelectric properties is found. It is experimentally established that the GaN/SiC/Si(111) heterostructure has a higher photosensitivity than the GaN/Si(111) heterostructure. In the GaN/SiC/Si(111) heterostructure, the coexistence of two oppositely directed p–n junctions is observed. One p–n junction forms at the SiC/Si interface and the other, at the GaN/SiC interface. It is shown that the occurrence of an electric barrier in the GaN/Si(111) heterostructure at the GaN/Si(111) heterointerface is caused by the formation of a thin silicon-nitride transition layer during pre-epitaxial plasma nitridation of the Si(111) substrate.

OSTI ID:
22945071
Journal Information:
Semiconductors, Vol. 53, Issue 2; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2019 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-7826
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English