• Applied Microscopy
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.337-345
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• 2000

Introduction of the buffer layer and the nitridation of a sapphire substrate were one of the most general methods employed for the reduction of lattice defects in GaN thin films Brown on sapphire by MOCVD. In an effort to improve the initial nucleation and growth condition of the GaN, reactive ion beam (RIB) of nitrogen treatment of the sapphire surface has been attempted. The 10 nm thick, amorphous $AlO_xN_y$ layer was formed by RIB and was partially crystallized alter the main growth of GaN at high temperature, leaving isolated amorphous regions at the interface. The beneficial effect of amorphous layer at interface in relieving the thermal stress between substrate and GaN film was examined by measuring the lattice strain value of the GaN film grown with and without the RIB treatment. Higher order Laue zone pattern (HOLZ) of $[\bar{2}201]$ zone axis was compared with simulated patterns and lattice strain was estimated It was confirmed that the great reduction of thermal strain was achieved by RIB process and the amount of thermal stress was 6 times higher in the GaN film grown by conventional method without the RIB treatment.

• Journal of Ceramic Processing Research
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.609-614
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• 2020

Variation of optical properties in a bulk GaN substrate have experimentally investigated with respect to different annealing conditions of 700 - 1,000 ℃. As-annealed GaN was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, photoluminescence, and Raman spectroscopy. The experimental results demonstrated that the crystallinity and internal residual compressive stress of GaN are most effectively improved when heat-treated at 900 oC for three hours. The optical characteristics were also improved by enhancing the quality of the GaN substrate by decreasing both the defect density and the residual stress. It was also confirmed that the effect of the heat treatment was excellent given that impurities were effectively removed by this process.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.257-262
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• 1999

The selective area growth of GaN by metal organic chemical vapor deposition has been carried out on GaN/ sapphire substrate using $SiO_2$ mask. We investgated the effect of growth parameters such as flow rate of $NH_3$(500­~1300sccm) and the growth temperature(TEX>$950~1060^{\circ}C$) on the growth selectivity and characteristics of GaN using the Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM). The selectivity of GaN improved as flow rate of NH, and growth temperature in­creased. But the grown GaN shapes on the substrate windows was independent of the flow rate of $NH_3$. On the pattern shapes such as circle, stripe, and radiational pattern(rotate the stripe pattern by $30^{\circ}, 45^{\circ}$), we observed the hexagonal pyramid, the lateral over growth on the mask layer, and the difference of the lateral growth rate depending on growth condition.

• Proceedings of the Korea Association of Crystal Growth Conference
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• 1997.06a
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• pp.247-251
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• 1997

GaN films were grown on three differently oriented sapphire substates; (0001), (11-20), and (1-20). GaN films on the (0001) and (11-20) substates have a haxagonal structure and their growth rate was 0.6 $\mu\textrm{m}$/hr in both case. The film on the (1-102) substrate was too thin to identify its crystalline state. Growth rate was about the half of the others. Substrate orientation is one of the factor determining growth rate. The adhesion between GaN film and alumina substrate seems to be very good judging from the fractography.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.199-205
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• 2006

Patterned sapphire substrates (PSS) were fabricated by a simple wet etching process with $SiO_2$ stripe masks and a mixed solution of $H_2SO_4$ and $H_3PO_4$. GaN layers were epitaxially grown on the PSS under the optimized 2-step growth condition of metalorganic vapor deposition. During the 1st growth step, GaN layers with triangular cross sections were grown on the selected area of the surface of the PSS, and in the 2nd growth step, the GaN layers were laterally grown and coalesced with neighboring GaN layers. The density of threading dislocations on the surface of the coalesced GaN layer was $2{\sim}4\;{\times}\;10^7\;cm^{-2}$ over the entire region. The epitaxial structure of near-UV light emitting diode (LED) was grown over the GaN layers on the PSS. The internal quantum efficiency and the extraction efficiency of the LED structure grown on the PSS were remarkably increased when compared to the conventional LED structure grown on the flat sapphire substrate. The reduction in TD density and the decrease in the number of times of total internal reflections of the light flux are mainly attributed due to high level of scattering on the PSS.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.645-651
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• 2014

GaN is most commonly used to make LED elements. But, due to differences of the thermal expansion coefficient and lattice mismatch with sapphire, dislocations have occurred at about $109{\sim}1010/cm^2$. Generally, a low temperature GaN buffer layer is used between the GaN layer and the sapphire substrate in order to reduce the dislocation density and improve the characteristics of the thin film, and thus to increase the efficiency of the LED. Further, patterned sapphire substrate (PSS) are applied to improve the light extraction efficiency. In this experiment, using an AlN buffer layer on PSS in place of the GaN buffer layer that is used mainly to improve the properties of the GaN film, light extraction efficiency and overall properties of the thin film are improved at the same time. The AlN buffer layer was deposited by using a sputter and the AlN buffer layer thickness was determined to be 25 nm through XRD analysis after growing the GaN film at $1070^{\circ}C$ on the AlN buffer CPSS (C-plane Patterned Sapphire Substrate, AlN buffer 25 nm, 100 nm, 200 nm, 300 nm). The GaN film layer formed by applying a 2 step epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELOG) process, and by changing temperatures ($1020{\sim}1070^{\circ}C$) and pressures (85~300 Torr). To confirm the surface morphology, we used SEM, AFM, and optical microscopy. To analyze the properties (dislocation density and crystallinity) of a thin film, we used HR-XRD and Cathodoluminescence.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.599-603
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• 1999

We have investigated the growth characteristics of thick GaN on Sim substrate with AlN and low temperature GaN buffer layer. The vertical hydride vapor phase epitaxy system with $GaCl_3$ precursor was used for growth of GaN. AlN and GaN buffer layer were deposited on Si substrate to reduce the lattice mismatch and the thermal expansion coefficient mismatch between si and GaN. Optimization of deposition condition for AlN and low temperature GaN buffer layers were carried out. We studied the effects of growth temperature, V/III ratio on the properties of thick GaN. Surface morphology, growth rate and crystallinity of thick GaN were measured using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), $\alpha-step$-, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-Ray Diffractometer(XRD).

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.159-165
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• 2018

The demand on use of GaN single crystal substrates for high efficient and environment - friended high power electronic semiconductor has be increased. The industrial business trend on GaN substrate along with its research activities has been reviewed through the recent scientific and technical in formations on the basic of Yole report (2013). The research on the GaN single crystal substrate has been performed continuously for the purpose of the high quality and larger diameter, but its market has not been activated yet.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.235-240
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• 2003

The development of large area GaN substrates is one of important issues in expanding of GaN-based applications. In order to investigate the possibility, GaN thick films were grown by a sublimation technique, using MOCVD-GaN films grown on a sapphire as a seed-crystal substrate and a commercial GaN powder as a source material. The pressure in chamber under the fixed flow rate of $N_2$ gas and $NH_3$ gas was kept at 1 atmosphere and the effects of the various processing parameters such as the distance between source material and seed crystal, the temperature of top- and bottom heater and the growth time during the growth of GaN thick film were investigated. The growth feature and microstructure of the GaN thick films were observed by SEM and XRD. The optical bandgap properties and the defects were evaluated by the PL measurement. By these results, the growth conditions such as the distance between the GaN source and the seed substrate, the growth temperature and the growth time were determined for the satisfied growth of GaN thick films.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.173-173
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• 2010

Recently, a patterned sapphire substrate (PSS) has been intensively used as one of the effective ways to reduce the dislocation density for the III-nitride epitaxial layers aiming for the application of high-performance, especially high-brightness, light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In this paper, we analyze the growth kinetics of the atoms and crystalline quality for the undopped-GaN depending on the facets of the pattern fabricated on a sapphire substrate. The effects of the PSS on the device characteristics of InGaN/GaN LEDs were also investigated. Several GaN samples were grown on the PSS under the different growth conditions. And the undoped-GaN layer was grown on a planar sapphire substrate as a reference. For the (002) plane of the undoped-GaN layer, as an example, the line-width broadening of the x-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum on a planar sapphire substrate is 216.0 arcsec which is significantly narrower than that of 277.2 arcsec for the PSS. However, the line-width broadening for the (102) plane on the planar sapphire substrate (363.6 arcsec) is larger than that for the PSS (309.6 arcsec). Even though the growth parameters such as growth temperature, growth time, and pressure were systematically changed, this kind of trend in the line-width broadening of XRD spectrum was similar. The emission wavelength of the undoped-GaN layer on the PSS was red-shifted by 5.7 nm from that of the conventional LEDs (364.1 nm) under the same growth conditions. In addition, the intensity for the GaN layer on the PSS was three times larger than that of the planar case. The spatial variation in the emission wavelength of the undoped-GaN layer on the PSS was statistically ${\pm}0.5\;nm$ obtained from the photoluminescence mapping results throughout the whole wafer. These results will be discussed in terms of the mixed dislocation depending on the facets and the period of the patterns.