Success was achieved in effectively stopping the propagation of basal stacking faults in (11•2) semipolar GaN films on sapphire by using an original epitaxial lateral overgrowth process. The growth conditions were chosen so as to enhance the growth rate along the [00•1] inclined direction. Thus, the crystal expanded laterally up to growth above the a-facet of the adjacent crystal seed, where the basal stacking faults emerged. The growth anisotropy was monitored using scanning electron microscopy. Fault filtering and an improvement in crystalline quality were revealed by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and low temperature photoluminescence studies which revealed high intensity band-edge emission with low stacking-fault related emissions.

Stacking Faults Blocking Process in (11−22) Semipolar GaN Growth on Sapphire Using Asymmetric Lateral Epitaxy. N.Kriouche, P.Vennéguès, M.Nemoz, G.Nataf, P.De Mierry: Journal of Crystal Growth, 2010, 312[19], 2625-30