The Influence of AlN Buffer Layer Thickness on the Growth of GaN on a Si(111) Substrate with an Ultrathin Al Layer

It was studied the effect of a pre-deposited ultrathin Al layer as part of a buffer layer for the growth of GaN. AlN buffer layers were deposited on a Si(111) substrate using an RF sputtering technique, followed by GaN using hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). Several atomic layers of Al were deposited prior to AlN sputtering and the samples were compared with the others grown without pre-deposition of Al. And it was also studied the influence of AlN buffer layer thickness on the growth of GaN. The peak wavelength of the photoluminescence (PL) was varied with increasing the thickness of the GaN and AlN layers. The optimum thickness of AlN on a Si(111) substrate with an ultrathin Al layer was about $260{\AA}$. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed coalescent surface morphology and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed a strongly oriented GaN(0002) peak.