Epitaxial growth of AlN by plasma-assisted, gas-source molecular beam epitaxy

Monocrystalline AlN(0001) films with few defects were deposited on vicinal α(6H)-SiC(0001) wafers via plasma-assisted, gas-source molecular beam epitaxy within the temperature range of 1050-1200°C. The Al was thermally evaporated from an effusion cell. An electron cyclotron resonance plasma source was used to produce activated nitrogen species. Growth on vicinal Si(100) at 900-1050°C resulted in smooth, highly oriented AlN(0001) films