In-situ ellipsometry: Identification of surface terminations during GaN growth

Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) is used to determine GaN surface termination during growth with metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) by a correlation to well known results of plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE). The results manifest that in MOVPE under typical growth conditions the surface is not terminated by a Ga-bilayer as suggested for MBE. Moreover, it turns out that ellipsometry can be used to characterize the surface reconstruction in wurtzite GaN similar as reflectance anisotropy does for cubic III–V-compounds. The optical spectra for the PAMBE reveal clear differences between growth under Ga-rich and N-rich conditions, which are attributed to the presence of a Ga-bilayer and various N-rich reconstructions on the surface [1]. (© 2003 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)</p

Surface termination during GaN growth by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy determined by ellipsometry

Spectroscopic ellipsometry is used to study GaN films during growth by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) in correlation to well known results of plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE). Results for the PAMBE reveal clear differences between growth under Ga-rich and N-rich conditions, which are attributed to the presence of a Ga bilayer on the surface (also seen with low energy electron diffraction) in the Ga-rich case. Results for MOVPE surfaces during growth or for surfaces which are stabilized under NH3 are very similar to the N-rich PAMBE result. It is concluded that under normal growth conditions in MOVPE in contrast to PAMBE the surface is not terminated by a Ga bilayer. © 2003 American Institute of Physics.</em