Transformation of N-Polar Inversion Domains from AlN Buffer Layers during the Growth of AlGaN Layers

• Published in: Semiconductors (Woodbury, N.Y.) Vol. 56; no. 6; pp. 352 - 359
• Main Authors: Osinnykh, I. V., Malin, T. V., Kozhukhov, A. S., Ber, B. Ya, Kazancev, D. Yu, Zhuravlev, K. S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.06.2022; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aluminum compounds; Aluminum gallium nitrides; Aluminum nitride; Aluminum oxide; Ammonia; Atomic force microscopy; Atomic properties; Buffer layers; Columns (structural); Crystal structure; Domains; Epitaxial growth; Epitaxy; Heterostructures; Magnetic Materials; Magnetism; Molecular beam epitaxy; Nitrogen; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Secondary ion mass spectrometry; Silicon; structural defects; A; ammonia-assisted MBE; nitrides; inversion domains
• ISSN: 1063-7826; 1090-6479
• DOI: 10.1134/S1063782622070077

The structural properties and crystal quality of Al x Ga 1 ‒  x N/AlN/Al 2 O 3 heterostructures grown by ammonia-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy with a high silicon concentration in the Al x Ga 1 ‒  x N:Si layers are studied by atomic force microscopy and dynamic secondary-ion mass spectrometry. It is shown that if AlN buffer layers of metal polarity contain inversion domains of nitrogen polarity, during subsequent growth of the Al x Ga 1 ‒  x N:Si layers, inversion domains do not grow to the surface, but change their nitrogen polarity for metal polarity. At the place of AlN inversion domains, broadening Al x Ga 1 ‒  x N columns of metal polarity grow, which coalesce in a homogeneous film with the Me-polar matrix surrounding them. The thickness corresponding to complete intergrowth increases with the Al content in the layers.