Control and Elimination of Cracking of AlGaN Using Low-Temperature AlGaN Interlayers

Journal Article · Wed Sep 13 00:00:00 EDT 2000 · Applied Physics Letters

OSTI ID:762145

HAN, JUNG ^[1]; WALDRIP, KAREN NMN; LEE, STEPHEN R; FIGIEL, JEFFREY J; HEARNE, S J; PETERSEN, GARY A; MYERS, JR, SAMUEL M

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1. Sandia National Laboratories

We demonstrate that the insertion of low-temperature (LT) AlGaN interlayers is effective in reducing mismatch-induced tensile stress and suppressing the formation of cracks during growth of AlGaN directly upon GaN epilayers., Stress evolution and relaxation is monitored using an in-situ optical stress sensor. The combination of in-situ and ex-situ. characterization techniques enables us to determine the degree of pseudomorphism in the interlayers. It is observed that the elastic tensile mismatch between AlGaN and GaN is mediated by the relaxation of interlayers; the use of interlayers offers tunability in the in-plane lattice parameters.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 762145
• Report Number(s): SAND2000-2261J
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALUMINIUM NITRIDES
CRACK PROPAGATION
GALLIUM NITRIDES
LATTICE PARAMETERS
MITIGATION
RELAXATION
STRESS ANALYSIS