Growth and characterization of cubic GaN grown on GaAs (110) substrate by MOVPE

International audienceGaN layers were grown by Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy (MOVPE) on GaAs (110) substrate at temperature varying in the range of 750–900 °C. 50 nm-thick GaN layer grown at low temperature (550 °C) was used as buffer layer. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and room temperature cathodoluminescence (RT-CL) studies were carried out and showed a large dependence of the crystalline and optical properties of GaN layer with the growth temperature. A mixture of cubic and hexagonal GaN phases is evidenced by the 2θ/ω spectra which are dominated by a broad peak associated to c-GaN (220) and h-GaN (11.0) reflections. The cubic GaN phase is maximal for a growth temperature of 850 °C. At this temperature, morphological observations by AFM showed the presence of c-GaN islands and RT-CL spectra showed only c-GaN (3.23 eV) emission whereas both emissions of c-GaN (3.23 eV) and h-GaN (3.39 eV) were observed at 900 °C

Role of the TMG flow rate on the GaN layer properties grown by MOVPE on (hkl) GaAs substrates

International audienceThe role of the TMG flow rate on the properties of the GaN layer grown by MOVPE on (001) and (11n)/n=2,3 GaAs substrates were investigated. The surface morphology, crystalline quality and optical property were found to be strongly dependent on the TMG flow rate. As the latter decreased to 16 μmol/min, in-situ reflectance measurements showed a constant signal. This is attributed to the enhanced coalescence process, which resulted in the improvement of the surface morphology. A high TMG flow rate of 40 μmol/min sccm promoted predominantly vertical growth and resulted in the formation of a three-dimensional island. The lowest YL intensity and FWHM values of near band edge emission were obtained for GaN layers grown on (001) GaAs substrate with a TMG flow rate of 16 μmol/min, indicating an improvement of the optical properties of the GaN layer. This improvement is attributed to the coalescence process at the initial growth stage of GaN and the lateral growth process. All these behaviors were always observable whatever the used substrates. Depth resolved-CL showed that a mechanism of phase transformation in response to changing the substrate orientations

Observation of the early stages of GaN thermal decomposition at 1200 °C under N₂

International audienceWe investigated the partial decomposition of GaN layers grown in an atmospheric pressure metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (AP-MOVPE) vertical reactor at 1200 °C under N2 ambient. In these conditions, the early stages of GaN thermal decomposition were studied. The GaN decomposition was monitored by in-situ laser reflectometry (LR). The properties of the as grown and decomposed GaN samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). We show that GaN decomposition starts by the formation of GaN nano-grains at the early stages. Then, due to the anisotropy of the decomposition, the GaN nano-grains are more easily etched than the GaN (0 0 .2) surface. The lateral etching may results in local smooth GaN surface formation. After that the depth etching starts again on the etched pits. Room temperature cathodoluminescence (CL) study revealed better optical properties of the GaN grains when compared to the whole GaN surface

Optical characterization by photoreflectance of GaN after its partial thermal decomposition

International audienc

Study of cubic GaN clusters in hexagonal GaN layers and their dependence with the growth temperature

International audienceThe inclusion of cubic phase in MOVPE-grown hexagonal GaN on GaAs substrate and its dependence with the growth temperature are investigated by high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HR-XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and cathodoluminescence (CL). It is observed that the GaN layers surface exhibits 3D-grains structure. The density and shape of these grains are largely dependent on the growth temperature. HR-XRD study reveals the presence of cubic GaN clusters in the hexagonal GaN layer. Using CL we show that the cubic inclusions are not localized at the substrate/epilayer interface but propagate throughout the film

Effect of GaAs substrate orientation on the growth kinetic of GaN layer grown by MOVPE

International audienceWe have investigated the kinetic growth of low temperature GaN nucleation layers (LT-GaN) grown on GaAs substrates with different crystalline orientations. GaN nucleation layers were grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) in a temperature range of 500-600°C on oriented (001), (113), (112) and (111) GaAs substrates. The growth was in-situ monitored by laser reflectometry (LR). Using an optical model, including time-dependent surface roughness and growth rate profiles, simulations were performed to best approach the experimental reflectivity curves. Results are discussed and correlated with ex-situ analyses, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV-visible reflectance (SR). We show that the GaN nucleation layers growth results the formation of GaN islands whose density and size vary greatly with both growth temperature and substrate orientation. Arrhenius plots of the growth rate for each substrate give values of activation energy varying from 0.20 eV for the (001) orientation to 0.35 eV for the (113) orientation. Using cathodoluminescence (CL), we also show that high temperature (800-900°C) GaN layers grown on top of the low temperature (550°C) GaN nucleation layers, grown themselves on the GaAs substrates with different orientations, exhibit cubic or hexagonal phase depending on both growth temperature and substrate orientation

Sulphated polysaccharide isolated from Sargassum vulgare: Characterization and hypolipidemic effects

A sulphated polysaccharide from brown algae Sargassum vulgare (SVSP) was extracted and examined with respect to chemical, structural characterization and hypolipidemic effects. SVSP consisted mainly of sulphate and total sugars with low levels of lipids and proteins. Its structure was studied by nuclear magnetic resonance (RMN), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), infra-red spectroscopic, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction analysis. Allowing us therefore to revealed that SVSP was composed of glucose, rhamnose, xylose, galactose, mannose and arabinose with XRD pattern that was typical for a semi-crystalline polymer and complexities of the spectra reflected its homogeneous structure. The administration of SVSP to obese rats is effective in lowering the body weight and inhibiting the lipase activity leading to notable regulation of lipid profile, increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes, limiting lipid peroxidation; and protects liver-kidney functions proved by a decrease in the levels of toxicity parameters in blood, confirmed by histological study. © 201

The atmospheric fate of 1,2-dibromo-4-(1,2-dibromoethyl)cyclohexane (TBECH): spatial patterns, seasonal variability, and deposition to Canadian coastal regions

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) that are gradually being phased out are being replaced by emerging BFRs. Here, we report the concentration of the α- and β-isomers of 1,2-dibromo-4-(1,2-dibromoethyl)cyclohexane (TBECH; also known as DBE-DBCH) in over 300 air, water, and precipitation samples collected between 2019 and 2022 using active air and deposition sampling as well as networks of passive air and water samplers. The sampling region includes Canada's most populated cities and areas along the St. Lawrence River and Estuary, Quebec, as well as around the Salish Sea, British Columbia. TBECH was detected in over 60 % of air samples at levels comparable to those of 2,2′,4,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47). Concentrations of TBECH and BDE-47 were typically higher in urban areas, with stronger correlations with population density during warmer deployments. Uniform α- / β-TBECH ratios across space, time, and environmental media indicate the highly similar atmospheric fate of the two isomers. Although TBECH air concentrations were strongly related to temperature in urban Toronto and a remote site on the east coast, the lack of such dependence at a remote site on the west coast can be explained by the small seasonal temperature range and summertime air mass transport from the Pacific Ocean. Despite there being no evidence that TBECH has been produced, or imported for use, in Canada, it is now one of the most abundant gaseous BFRs in the Canadian atmosphere. The recorded spatial and temporal variability of TBECH suggest that its emissions are not constrained to specific locations but are generally tied to the presence of humans. The most likely explanation for its environmental occurrence in Canada is the release from imported consumer products containing TBECH. Chiral analysis suggests that despite its urban origin, at least some fraction of TBECH has experienced enantioselective processing, i.e., has volatilized from reservoirs where it has undergone microbial transformations. Microbial processes in urban soils and in marine waters may have divergent enantioselectivity.</p