Comprehensive Analysis of Metal Modulated Epitaxial GaN

While metal modulated epitaxy (MME) has been shown useful for hyper-doping, where hole concentrations 40 times higher than other techniques has been demonstrated and the ability to control phase separation in immiscible III-Nitrides, the complexity of the dynamically changing surface conditions during the cyclic growth is poorly understood. While MME is capable of superb crystal quality, performing MME in an improper growth regime can result in defective material. These complications have made the transfer of MME knowledge challenging. This work provides a comprehensive study of the conditions necessary for achieving the benefits of MME while avoiding undesirable defects. The effect of growth temperature, Ga/N ratio and excess Ga-dose per cycle on the morphological, structural, electronic, and optical properties of Unintentionally Doped (UID) MME grown Gallium Nitride (GaN) have been investigated. Optimal structural and electrical quality were achieved for GaN films grown at ~650°C, at pre-bilayer Ga coverage and at the moderate droplet regime. However, counter to traditional MBE, high defect concentrations were observed at the lowest growth temperatures and as the excess Ga-dose transitioned from bilayer coverage to the low droplet regime. Optoelectronic properties were optimal for films grown at intermediate growth temperatures, an excess Ga-dose condition just before the droplet formation, and at 1.3 III/V ratios. Optimization of growth temperatures, Ga/N ratios and excess Ga-dose results in a range of growth conditions achieving smooth surfaces, step-flow surface morphology and high crystalline quality films with low threading dislocation densities allowing researchers to utilize the extensive advantages of MME.