Peculiarities of the AlN crystalline phase formation in a result of the electron-stimulated reconstruction transition (√31×√31)R ± 9° − (1 × 1)

Abstract In the present work, it was found for the first time that an electron beam used in reflection high-energy electron diffraction technique stimulates a reconstruction transition from a sapphire (√31×√31)R ± 9° superstructure which is chemically inert under an ammonia flux to an unreconstructed (1 × 1) structure with subsequent surface nitridation. The electron beam initiates electron-stimulated oxygen desorption from the sapphire surface followed by formation of oxygen vacancies, which are potential energetically accessible centers for the primary nuclei formation of the AlN crystalline phase.