Papers by Author: Yoshihisa Abe

Abstract: The dislocations in GaN thin film with GaN/AlN multilayer (ML) as the buffer layer were evaluated using transmission electron microscopy. A high density of dislocations parallel to the GaN/ML interface and a sudden decrease in the dislocation density at the GaN/ML interface were found. Dislocation propagation in the direction parallel to the GaN/ML interface by turning horizontally on the GaN/ML interface is considered to be effective in decreasing the dislocation density at the top layer of GaN.

Abstract: Role of 3C-SiC intermediate layer (3C-SiC IL) and a propagation of crystal defects from 3C-SiC IL to III-nitride epilayers has been investigated by observing the interface between the 3C-SiC IL and III-nitride epilayers. We found that better quality epilayers were obtained by using such intermediate layers than by direct growth on Si substrates. In the case of III-nitride epilayers grown directly on Si, the layers grown at the initial stage are not flat. The 3C-SiC IL grown on Si (111) substrates has many stacking faults (SFs) that form along the 3C-SiC {111} planes. The initial III-nitride films have V-shaped trenches due to the SFs of the 3C-SiC IL. However, some SFs do not lead to the V-shaped defects.

Abstract: Epitaxial growth of AlN was carried out by MOVPE method on SiC/Si buffered substrates prepared by using various Si surfaces of (110), (211) and (001). Cross-sectional HRTEM analyses of the interfaces between SiC buffer layer and AlN epitaxial layer disclosed characteristic nanostructures related growth mechanism on the each substrate. In the case of Si(110) and Si(211) substrate, hexagonal AlN grew directly on SiC(111) plane with AlN(0001) plane parallel to it. In contrast, growth on Si(001) substrate gave complicate structure at AlN/SiC interface. Hexagonal AlN didn’t grow directly but cubic AlN appeared with a pyramidal shape on SiC(001). When the cubic AlN grew 10nm in height, structure of growing AlN crystal changed to hexagonal type on the pyramidal {111} planes of cubic AlN.

Abstract: The growth process of semipolar GaN(10-12) on Si(001) offcut substrates with 3C-SiC buffer layers has been investigated. From XRD analysis, the difference in the crystal orientation between GaN(10-12) and 3C-SiC(001) has been found to be around 8˚ toward the [110] direction of the 3C-SiC templates. From TEM observations, a cubic-phase AlN seed layer is found to grow on 3C-SiC(001) templates, and the swift transition from the cubic phase to a hexagonal phase leads to the stable growth of hexagonal nitrides. Using 8˚-offcut Si substrates, it is possible to obtain a mirror-like surface of GaN(10-12) using an approximately 10-nm-thick AlN seed layer, which swiftly transitions from cubic AlN to hexagonal GaN.