Transmission electron microscope observation was performed for the anti-surfactant treated GaN layer in order to clarify the annihilation process of dislocations. The morphology of dislocations in 3-dimension was analyzed in a stereographical way by using a high-voltage transmission electron microscopy. It was revealed that most of the threading dislocations were laid down on the anti-surfactant treated surface and merge with one another to form a network of dislocations (sweep-up process). The dislocations then decrease in number after the merging by cancellation of their Burgers vectors. It was also revealed that a thin layer was formed on the anti-surfactant treated surface. The layer was confirmed to be crystalline.

TEM Analysis of Annihilation Process of Threading Dislocations in GaN Thin Films Grown by MOVPE with Anti-Surfactant Treatment. M.Hijikuro, N.Kuwano, M.Takeuchi, Y.Aoyagi: Physica Status Solidi C, 2006, 3[6], 1832-5