We present a method of in-plane modification of the refractive index using ion implantation and electrochemical etching of GaN layers. Proposed method allows for the fabrication of embedded air-GaN channels that can be periodically arranged inside III-nitride heterostructures. Importantly, a flat top surface is preserved for further regrowth. High refractive index contrast between air and GaN makes the proposed technology attractive for the fabrication of embedded photonic structures such as diffraction gratings for distributed feedback laser diodes (DFB LDs). We discuss the impact of the different design of air-GaN channels on the properties of DFB LDs.
Ion implantation (I/I) is a key technology for preparing semiconductor devices. In the case of GaN, I/I is still under development. The formation of n-type and p-type regions remains a major challenge. In this paper, we will focus on analyzing the effect of structural quality, represented by the threading dislocation density (TDD), on the diffusion of implanted silicon (Si; donor) and magnesium (Mg; acceptor) in GaN. Four (0001) GaN substrates with different TDD, varied from 103 cm-2 to 1010 cm-2 will be used. Substrates with different TDD will be implanted with Si and Mg. The samples will then be annealed at a few temperatures at the same high nitrogen pressure and time. Analysis of the diffusion profiles of the implanted dopants will allow, using the finite element analysis (FEA), to determine D and the activation energies for GaN as a function of TDD.
In this work we presents effect of ultra high pressure annealing on Si-implanted GaN n-type and p-type epilayers on ammonothermally grown bulk GaN substrates. Samples were blanked implanted with different Si ion fluences from 3x1014 cm-2 to 3x1015 cm-2 and then annealed using UHPA at temperature of 1200, 1300 and 1400°C for 5 minutes at 1 GPa. Ion distribution before and after annealing where investigated using SIMS method showing no Si diffusion in p-type GaN along with Mg diffusion from epilayer and very low Si diffusion in n-type GaN epilayers. X-ray diffraction studies shows that not all defects were recovered after annealing, especially for high ion fluences. Annealing at 1400°C causes changes in implanted GaN morphology. The surface roughness where increased after annealing especially for samples implanted with 3x1015 cm-2Si dose. Our results shows that more work is needed to optimize UHPA parameters for defect recovery in Si-implanted GaN especially for high ion fluences.
Three dopants (Be, Zn, Mg) were analysed in terms of diffusion through the crystal lattice of HVPE-GaN. Different crystallographic directions were investigated: [0001], [10-10] and [11-20]. Ion implantation was employed to create a thin layer of strongly doped GaN which acted as the diffusion source. Annealing in high nitrogen pressure was performed. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) was used to measure the post-annealing depth profiles of implanted species. The measured profiles were used for calculation of diffusion coefficients and activation energies for all dopants and crystallographic directions. A strong dependence of diffusion on crystallographic orientation and impurities composition was observed.
Behaviors of vacancy-type defects in ion-implanted GaN were studied by means of positron annihilation. Si or Mg ions were implanted into GaN to obtain 300-nm-deep box profiles of the impurities. The ion-implanted samples were annealed up to 1480°C under a N2 pressure of 1 GPa (ultra-high-pressure annealing: UHPA). For as-implanted GaN, the major defect species was identified as Ga-vacancy-type defects such as a divacancy (VGaVN). After annealing above 1000°C, vacancy clusters, such as (VGaVN)3, were introduced, and they were found to be remained even after 1480°C annealing. For Mg-implanted GaN with [Mg]=1018 cm-3, no large change in the depth distribution of Mg was observed before and after annealing at 1400°C. For the sample with [Mg]=1019 cm-3, however, Mg diffused into the bulk, which was attributed to the over-doping of Mg and their vacancy-assisted diffusion. The Mg diffusion was suppressed by sequential N-implantation, which was attributed to the reaction between Mg and vacancies under a N-rich condition. Interactions between vacancies, Mg, and H during UHPA were also discussed.
Silicon diffusion process was investigated in GaN layers crystallized by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) on native ammonothermal substrates of the highest structural quality. N-type (Si-doped) and p-type (Mg-doped) layers were implanted with Si and treated with ultra-high-pressure annealing. The morphology of the layers was examined at each step by optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The crystallographic structure was evaluated by X-ray diffraction measurements. The diffusion of Si was analyzed basing on depth profiles from secondary ion mass spectrometry. Temperature-dependent diffusion coefficients, pre-exponential factors, and activation energies for Si diffusion in n-type and p-type MOVPE-GaN were determined and compared.
Diffusion of Be was investigated for the main crystallographic directions in HVPE-GaN: c [0001], m [10-10], and a [11-20]. Be was implanted into the samples at room temperature with a dose of 2.9e15 cm-2 with energy of 200 keV. Ultra-high pressure annealing (UHPA) was performed to repair the post-implantation damage and activate the dopant. The annealing was performed at different time (15 and 30 minutes) and temperature (1200 – 1400°C). Depth profiles of Be were measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Diffusion coefficients were calculated using the complementary error function (erfc) or Boltzmann-Matano analysis. The determined diffusion coefficients were summarized in an Arrhenius plot: D(1/T). From this relation the pre-exponential factor D0 and the activation energy were calculated. In addition, it was possible to calculate the formation energy for interstitial Be as well as gallium vacancy defects.
Vacancies in Mg-implanted GaN were probed using positron annihilation technique. Mg was implanted into GaN with [Mg] = 1E19 /cm3. For an as-implanted sample, the major defect species was identified as Ga-vacancy related defects. The sample was annealed under a nitrogen pressure of 1 GPa in a temperature range of 1000–1480C without a protective capping layer. Comparing with the sample annealed with the capping layer, although no large difference in the defect spices was observed, their concentration was decreased by the cap-less annealing. The diffusion of Mg during annealing was influenced by the presence of residual vacancies. H was unintentionally incorporated into the sample during annealing, and its diffusion property were also affected by vacancies and Mg. A part of this work was supported by MEXT “Research and development of next-generation semiconductor to realize energy-saving society (JPJ005357)” and the Polish National Science Centre through project No 2018/29/B/ST5/00338.
Recent progress in bulk GaN growth technology will be presented. New results of basic ammonothermal GaN crystallization and halide vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) of GaN will be shown and analyzed. The advantages, disadvantages and challenges of both methods will be discussed. An influence of lateral growth on critical thicknesses and structural quality of crystallized GaN layers by both methods will be demonstrated. Reduction of lateral crystallization and growth only in one crystallographic direction will be shown.
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