Epitaxial Growth of the Wurtzite (112̄0) AlN Thin Films on Si(100) with MnS Buffer Layer

A growth of the wurtzite (110) AlN thin films on Si(100) with MnS buffer layer was demonstrated for the first time by KrF pulsed excimer laser deposition. The presence of an epitaxial MnS layer on Si(100) substrate was found to affect the orientation of the AlN growth. AlN films was grown epitaxially on the MnS buffer at a substrate temperature higher than 700°C. The AlN/MnS/Si heterostructure is investigated by X-ray diffraction and in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction. An AlN(110)∥MnS(100)∥Si(100) with in-plane alignment of AlN[0001]∥MnS[010]∥Si[010] and AlN[1100]∥MnS[001]∥Si[001] was observed. This result indicates a possibility of non-polar epitaxial AlN films on Si(100) with an expectation of a new substrate for GaN based optoelectronic devices on silicon.