A complex study was made of the dislocation/crack distribution in the misfit-strained AlGaN/GaN systems. Two different samples were analyzed without and with top GaN overlayer. The co-existence of the optically visible dominant cracks with the AlGaN-GaN interface-related subdominant crack system was reported. The structure of the subdominant crack network was analyzed; strong correlation between subdominant cracks and the interface-related edge dislocations was revealed.

Cracks and Dislocation Structures in AlGaN Systems. I.L.Maksimov, H.D.Li, T.Sugahara, M.Tsukihara, A.Mori, S.Sakai: Physica Status Solidi C, 2003, 0[7], 2432-5