In situ GaN decomposition analysis by quadrupole mass spectrometry and reflection high-energy electron diffraction

Abstract

Thermal decomposition of wurtzite (0001)-oriented GaN was analyzed: in vacuum, under active N exposure, and during growth by rf-plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The GaN decomposition rate was determined by measurements of the Ga desorption using in situ quadrupole mass spectrometry, which showed Arrhenius behavior with an apparent activation energy of 3.1 eV. Clear signatures of intensity oscillations during reflection high-energy electron diffraction measurements facilitated complementary evaluation of the decomposition rate and highlighted a layer-by-layer decomposition mode in vacuum. Exposure to active nitrogen, either under vacuum or during growth under N-rich growth conditions, strongly reduced the GaN losses due to GaN decomposition.

References in corpus (1)

• In situ investigation of growth modes during plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy of (0001)GaN

Cited by in corpus (8)

• A growth diagram for plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy of GaN nanocolumns on Si(111)
• Spontaneous nucleation and growth of GaN nanowires: Fundamental role of crystal polarity
• Observation of dielectrically confined excitons in ultrathin GaN nanowires up to room temperature
• Monitoring the formation of nanowires by line-of-sight quadrupole mass spectrometry: a comprehensive description of the temporal evolution of GaN nanowire ensembles
• High-temperature growth of GaN nanowires by molecular beam epitaxy: toward the materials quality of bulk GaN
• Top-down fabrication of ordered arrays of GaN nanowires by selective area sublimation
• Effect of the growth temperature and the AlN mole fraction on In incorporation and properties of quaternary III-nitride layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy
• Polarity-induced selective area epitaxy of GaN nanowires