采用两步AlN缓冲层(一层低温AlN和一层高温AlN)在r面蓝宝石衬底上生长了非极性的a面GaN,并利用高分辨X射线衍射和光致荧光谱对所生长的材料进行了研究。两步AlN缓冲层在我们之前的工作中已被证明比单步高温AlN或低温GaN缓冲层更有利于减小材料各向异性和提高晶体质量,本文进一步优化了两步AlN缓冲层的结构,并得到了各向异性更小,晶体质量更好的a面GaN薄膜。分析表明,两步AlN缓冲层中的低温AlN层在减小各向异性中起着关键作用。低温AlN层能抑制了优势方向(c轴)的原子迁移,有利于劣势方向(m轴)的原子迁移,从而减小了Al原子在不同方向迁移能力的差异,并为其后的高温AlN缓冲层和GaN层提供"生长模板",以得到各向异性更小、晶体质量更好的a面GaN材料。
Nonpolar(1120) a-plane GaN films with two-step AlN buffer(a low-temperature(LT) and a high-temperature(HT) AlN layers) were grown on(1102) r-plane sapphire by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition(MOCVD).The as-grown films were investigated by high-resolution X-ray diffraction(XRD) and photoluminescence(PL).The two-step AlN buffer has been proved to be advantageous in crystal quality compared with one-step LT-GaN or HT-AlN buffers in our early works.In this report,the thickness of the two-step buffer was further optimized,and much less anisotropic a-plane GaN films were achieved.It was found that the LT-AlN layer of the two-step buffer played a key role in reduction of anisotropy of the GaN film grown.