High In-content InGaN layers synthesized by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy: Growth conditions, strain relaxation, and In incorporation kinetics
- Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble (France)
- CIMAP, CNRS-ENSICAEN-CEA-UCBN, 6 Blvd. Maréchal Juin, 14050 Caen (France)
- IPFN, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Campus Tecnológico e Nuclear, Estrada Nacional 10, P-2695-066 Bobadela LRS (Portugal)
We report the interplay between In incorporation and strain relaxation kinetics in high-In-content In{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}N (x = 0.3) layers grown by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy. For In mole fractions x = 0.13–0.48, best structural and morphological qualities are obtained under In excess conditions, at In accumulation limit, and at a growth temperature where InGaN decomposition is active. Under such conditions, in situ and ex situ analyses of the evolution of the crystalline structure with the layer thickness point to an onset of misfit relaxation after the growth of 40 nm, and a gradual relaxation during more than 200 nm, which results in an inhomogeneous strain distribution along the growth axis. This process is associated with a compositional pulling effect, i.e., indium incorporation is partially inhibited in presence of compressive strain, resulting in a compositional gradient with increasing In mole fraction towards the surface.
- OSTI ID:
- 22402805
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 116, Issue 23; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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